FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Middle East

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel in 2013.

Hugh Robertson: The Israeli Defence Force assess that 43 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel in 2013.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the recent Peace Now report entitled A Disaster-in-the-Making: The (Potential) New Settlements in Hebron.

Hugh Robertson: We have made no formal assessment of the report referred to.

Occupied Territories

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on a potential new Israeli settlement in the city of Hebron.

Hugh Robertson: Our ambassador to Tel Aviv has raised our strong concerns over the recent verdict by the Israeli Supreme Court on the “House of Contention” in Hebron with the Israeli Ministry of Justice, in line with the UK's clear and long-standing position on the illegality of all settlements. The UK considers that settlements undermine trust, prospects for peace and the viability of the two-state solution. We regularly discuss the issue of settlements with our EU partners.

Ukraine

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for consular assistance as a result of public disturbances have been made by UK citizens at the UK embassy in Kiev since February 2013.

David Lidington: The UK embassy in Kiev has received 78 requests for consular assistance from UK nationals resulting from public disturbances in Ukraine.

WALES

Manufacturing Sector

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the future performance of the manufacturing sector in Wales.

Stephen Crabb: The manufacturing industry in Wales is performing strongly and has great prospects for the future. We are encouraged that the economic recovery is broad based and balanced, with the main industry groups predicting the sector to grow across the UK.

Zero-hours Contracts

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of workers in Wales employed on zero-hours contracts; and what assessment he has made of trends in that number since 2010.

Stephen Crabb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently considering the responses to our consultation on zero-hours contracts. Unlike the previous Government, we want to hear what businesses and employees have to say on this matter.

SCOTLAND

Industry

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of Scottish independence on industry in Scotland.

David Mundell: ‘The Scotland analysis: business and microeconomic framework’ paper outlined that the UK is a true integrated domestic single market. Businesses in Scotland have easy access to customers across all parts of the UK and sales to the UK represent almost a third of Scottish GDP.
	Independence would cause divergence in this framework, making trade across the UK more difficult and more costly.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an assessment of the financial benefits of Scotland remaining part of the UK.

David Mundell: ‘The Scotland analysis: macroeconomic and fiscal performance’ paper outlined that the Scottish economy is successful as part of the UK. We benefit from being part of a large, integrated UK domestic market.
	As part of the UK Scotland benefits from the UK's broad tax base, which help to smooth the impact of volatile sources of revenues such as oil and gas.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Security

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the comments made on 11 March 2014 by Dr Richard Haass to the US Congressional Sub-committee of Foreign Relations on the likelihood of violence returning to daily life in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: As Dr Haass suggested in his recent comments, there are people who seek to push Northern Ireland back to the violence of the troubles. While these individuals have virtually no public support and no mandate, the UK Government remain vigilant regarding the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland which continues to be severe.
	It is in the interests of Northern Ireland for its political leaders to continue to make progress on reconciliation and addressing sectarian division in order to underpin political stability and support economic recovery and rebalancing. Continued discussion on a way forward on flags, parading and the past is an important component of efforts to deliver a reconciled society and a shared future.

Terrorism

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 1830W, on terrorism, if she will amend her Answer to take account of the testimony given by Dr Richard Haass to the US Congressional Sub-committee of Foreign Relations on 12 March 2014 on the extent of her knowledge of on-the-runs; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I was made aware of the OTR scheme by NIO officials when I became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. It was not an issue I discussed with Dr Haass. I cannot comment on his other meetings, or what may or may not have been said to him by others.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Conditional Cautions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many conditional cautions were issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last three years and in 2013-14 to date; how many such cautions were breached; how many prosecutions of such breaches there were; in how many cases the conditional caution was varied; and in how many cases no action was taken.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recommended the issuing of a conditional caution in the following number of cases:
	
		
			 Conditional cautions 
			  Number 
			 2010-11 6,935 
			 2011-12 4,982 
			 2012-13 3,781 
			 2013-14 478 
		
	
	The number of breaches and the action taken by the CPS are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Non-compliance: 
			  Total breaches Prosecution No prosecution Continue with variation 
			 2010-11 997 684 158 155 
			 2011-12 912 630 155 127 
			 2012-13 593 399 115 79 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 242 190 36 16 
		
	
	Since 8 April 2013 the police are now able to authorise the offer of a youth or conditional caution in any summary or either way offence without reference to the CPS.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what plans the Crown Prosecution Service has to change or upgrade the tablet computers provided to its prosecutors.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service is currently reviewing the options to ensure that all IT equipment remains fit for purpose.

Freedom of Information

Paul Flynn: To ask the Attorney-General what the total cost to his Department has been of challenging the decision of the Information Commissioner on the publication of letters from HRH the Prince of Wales.

Dominic Grieve: This case raises issues of constitutional significance, including upholding Parliament's intentions for the Freedom of Information regime and the Government's ability to protect information in the public interest. Litigation initiated by The Guardian newspaper has taken place over a four-year period including hearings in the Upper Tribunal, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. Eight Government Departments have had to work together on the Government's response, at a total cost of £274,481.16 (excluding VAT). These costs encompass all costs billed by the Treasury Solicitor, including counsels' fees and disbursements. If we are successful in the next stage of legal proceedings the Government would seek to recover a substantial proportion of these costs from The Guardian.

Legal Profession: Industrial Disputes

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 370W, on legal profession: industrial disputes, whether he (a) advised on the content of and (b) approved the letter that the Director of Public Prosecutions sent to members of the independent Bar on action against cuts to legal aid.

Dominic Grieve: I neither advised on the content of, nor approved, the letter that was sent by the Crown Prosecution Service to members of the independent Bar about action against cuts to legal aid. I was however aware that the letter was to be sent.
	I have said on more than one occasion that there is no justification for barristers failing to honour their professional obligations to the CPS because there is no dispute with the CPS about the level of prosecution fees. It was perfectly proper for the CPS to send this letter reminding barristers of these obligations.

Terrorism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Attorney-General when he was first made aware of the existence of the administrative scheme for on-the-runs.

Dominic Grieve: I was first made aware of the existence of the administrative scheme for on-the-runs when in opposition.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Press: Regulation

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library all her correspondence on press regulation sent to or received from (a) the Press Complaints Commission, (b) the Independent Press Standards Organisation, (c) the Press Standards Board of Finance, (d) the Press Industry Working Group, (e) Peter Wright, (f) Paul Vickers, (g) Guy Black and (h) David Hunt between 1 November 2013 and 18 March 2014.

Edward Vaizey: It is not usual practice to publish correspondence in this way. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), has no current plans to place correspondence received in this period in the House Library.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Assets: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made in (a) Lancashire and (b) Pendle constituency to list (i) facilities and (ii) buildings as assets of community value; and how many such applications were approved.

Stephen Williams: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 310W.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and Humber are (i) entitled to and (ii) receiving council tax relief.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 20 March 2014
	Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration. Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people into work. We are ending the last Administration's ‘something for nothing' culture and making work pay.
	The Department has published experimental statistics which show the number of claimants receiving council tax support in each local authority area in England in 2013-14. These statistics are produced using information provided by local authorities on the Revenue Budget returns. These statistics are available on the Department's website via the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257016/RA_2013-14_LCTS_Publication.xls
	No figures are available for parliamentary constituencies and we do not collate regional statistics.

Industrial Health and Safety

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the potential benefits of local authorities charging businesses for enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Food Safety Act 1990 as is currently allowed for the Health and Safety Executive.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 13 March 2014
	My Department has not carried out such an assessment. However, I would observe that local authority trading standards statutory services are funded through central Government grant, council tax receipts and business rate receipts. While councils have the discretionary power to charge for added value services on top of statutory services, it is not the policy of my Department under this Government to seek to encourage charges to be increased on local firms. This is because it would add to regulatory costs, make firms less competitive, harm economic growth and ultimately increase costs for consumers.
	This is a different attitude to charging than that of the previous Administration, who pushed for more money to be raised from charges on households and local firms.

Local Government Services: Leisure

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to discounted local authority leisure services to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Brandon Lewis: This information is not centrally held. Local authorities decide on entitlements to discounted local authority leisure services based on their local needs and priorities; there is no national scheme.

Public Expenditure

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish data for his Department's spending over £250 for December 2013.

Brandon Lewis: Data for December 2013 were published on 21 March 2014 and are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-spending-over-250

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the current value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.

Brandon Lewis: The value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is published in the Department's annual report and accounts. It was valued as at 31 March 2013 by independent valuers at £26,500,000, but with a value of £25,292,929 in the Department's books because of the Conference Centre's trading fund's interest in the property. It will be re-valued as at 31 March 2014 in accordance with the Department's accounting policies and this will be published in the annual report and accounts for 2013-14.
	I would note that the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is a trading fund. Part of the yearly trading fund surplus is returned to the Exchequer and it contributed £2.3 million to the Exchequer in 2012-13.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which responsibilities for tackling animal welfare crimes are handled by (a) his Department and (b) non-governmental organisations.

George Eustice: DEFRA is the lead Government Department for policy and legislation in relation to animal welfare. Legislation relating to welfare on-farm, at livestock markets and in transport is enforced by local authorities. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, an agency of DEFRA, undertakes an inspection and regulatory role in these areas. Legislation on welfare at slaughter is enforced by the Food Standards Agency. In relation to companion animals, the principal legislation in this area is the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The police and local authorities have powers to enforce the Act, but any person or organisation (such as the RSPCA) can initiate criminal proceedings under it.

Dogs: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 269W, on dogs: imports, what advice is given to local authorities by (a) UK Border Force and (b) the AHVLA on steps to take if concealed pets are discovered.

George Eustice: UK Border Force and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) will advise the relevant local authority whenever concealed pets are discovered. This advice will depend on the circumstances of the case. The local authority will investigate and take the appropriate enforcement action.

Environment Agency

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  in what work streams job losses in the Environment Agency have taken place in each year since 2009-10;
	(2)  how many job losses there have been in the Environment Agency in each year since 2009-10.

Dan Rogerson: Data in the table are shown for the total number of people (full-time equivalent) employed by the Environment Agency (including employment agency staff and contractors). The data are split by directorate. All data are on 31 March for each of the last four financial years.
	
		
			 FTE numbers 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			  31 March 2010 31 March 2011 31 March 2012 31 March 2013 
			 Assets, Human Resources (HR) and Legal 316 658 637 676 
			 Chief Executive’s Office, Communications and Corporate Strategy 214 165 151 161 
			 Environment and Business 368 338 350 399 
			 Evidence 325 224 224 269 
			 Flood and Coastal Risk Management 173 164 182 193 
			 Finance and Information Technology (IT) 938 567 556 567 
			 Operations 9,825 8,397 8,528 9,092 
			 Work force total excluding Wales 12,158 10,512 10,628 11,358 
			      
			 Wales 1,086 1,030 1,043 1,170 
			      
			 Work force total 13,244 11,542 11,671 12,528 
			 Notes: 1. Total numbers of work force include employment agency staff and contractors. 2. Environment Agency Wales left the Environment Agency to form Natural Resources Wales on 1 April 2013. 3. All FTE numbers are rounded to whole numbers. 4. In October 2013, the National Trading and Regulation Service and National Compliance and Technical Service moved from the Operations Directorate to the Environment and Business Directorate. 5. The majority of front-line posts sit within the Operations Directorate. Operations includes front-line work in areas and regions such as regulation and enforcement, protecting and monitoring the environment, flood risk management and communicating with customers. It also includes nationwide services such as customer contact centres, incident planning and response and environmental monitoring. 6. The Flood and Coastal Risk Management Directorate primarily works on funding allocation, strategy, engagement and the strategic management of incident response. 7. The Assets, Human Resources (HR) and Legal Directorate also includes estates and fleet. There was a restructure in 2009-10 which brought together all these functions under one directorate. 
		
	
	In the last four years, the FTE staff number of the Environment Agency, including Wales, has reduced by 716. There were further reductions of 1,170 following the creation of NRW (Natural Resources Wales) on 1 April 2013. Other significant reductions have been in:
	
		
			  FTE reduced by (number) 
			 Finance 94 
			 IT 371 
			 HR 109 
			 Evidence 62 
		
	
	FTE reductions have been managed to ensure that the Environment Agency has the right skills in the right place and priority flood and coastal risk management posts retained.

Meat: Ritual Slaughter

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for a mandatory scheme for labelling meat to ensure that religious consumers know that slaughter was appropriately carried out.

George Eustice: Most halal and kosher meat is already voluntarily labelled in accordance with the requirements of relevant certification bodies. Where any information of this nature is provided it must be accurate and not mislead the consumer.
	The Government are firmly of the view that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food. We are awaiting the results of an EU Commission study on method-of-slaughter labelling, which is due this summer. We will look at possible options in the light of that report.

Nature Conservation: British Overseas Territories

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was provided to the lionfish response strategy implemented in the Overseas Territories.

George Eustice: Since 2011, we have looked for opportunities to work with Caribbean Overseas Territories to get a better understanding of the scale and nature of the lionfish problem, including economic and ecological impacts.
	Since then, DEFRA, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have provided funding totalling £80,000 to help Caribbean Overseas Territories tackle this increasingly serious threat. This includes two seminars in 2013 (organised by the JNCC) to enable the UK Overseas Territories to address sustainable control of lionfish in the longer term. Work is also being funded in the Cayman Islands to assess the economic impact of the lionfish invasion.
	We will also be funding a Darwin Plus project in Bermuda over the next two years totalling £169,898 which will address lionfish control.

Nature Conservation: Tristan da Cunha

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria his Department applied before agreeing to a biosecurity review in Tristan da Cunha.

George Eustice: The Government attach a high priority to addressing biosecurity, bio-control and invasive species issues in the UK Overseas Territories. We welcome the attention drawn to this issue by the Environmental Audit Committee in its recent report on Sustainability in the UK Overseas Territories and the recent session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Biodiversity.
	The Government of Tristan da Cunha identified a specific need to review its biosecurity and sought DEFRA support. In light of the high priority attached to biosecurity and the specific need identified by the Tristan da Cunha Government, DEFRA has agreed to contribute £15,000 towards a review that will examine and make recommendations on border biosecurity systems and requirements, and consider the biosecurity facilities and protocols needed for the Tristan Archipelago.

River Medway

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibilities the Environment Agency has for the River Medway from Allington Lock to Tonbridge; and what action they have taken to limit vegetation impeding the flow of the (a) river traffic and (b) water.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency is the competent navigation authority for the River Medway from Allington Lock to Tonbridge, and is responsible for navigational use and Flood Risk Management.
	To make sure that capacity for boat use and water flow is maintained, the water levels through the lock pens are dropped and visual inspections carried out. If sediment builds up, Environment Agency teams schedule sediment removal with a dredger. This helps to maintain a deep channel so very little vegetation grows.
	The Environment Agency also inspects for fallen trees that will reduce the river flow and arranges removal of them in partnership with the riparian owner. Following the recent storms, Environment Agency teams are removing fallen trees from the River Medway that increase flood risk to properties in Tonbridge.
	Any overhanging vegetation that is a hazard to navigation is removed using an Environment Agency contractor between March and May each year. Outside this period the Environment Agency removes any overhanging hazards as they occur.

TRANSPORT

A1

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to paragraph 2.246 of the Budget 2014, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the Scottish Government matchfunding expenditure on a feasibility study on A1 improvements north of Newcastle.

Robert Goodwill: The Department has committed to undertaking six feasibility studies as part of the process of identifying and funding solutions to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country. The studies include work on the problems on the A1 north of Newcastle.
	The Department has commenced conversations with the Scottish Government regarding the offer made as part of the Budget 2014 to extend the study further north into Scotland if the Scottish Government matchfund the costs.
	The Government expect to report back at autumn statement 2014 with solutions to alleviate congestion and tackle the problems on this route.

A19 and A1058

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a report on the consultation on the A19/A1058 coast road junction improvement will be published.

Robert Goodwill: The A19/A1058 coast road junction improvement's pre-application consultation report will form one of the documents being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate as part of the Development Consent Order application. This is currently planned for October 2014 and will be published on its website at that time.

Aviation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to paragraph 2.42 of Budget 2014, whether the Regional Air Connectivity Fund will only be available to new domestic routes; which regional airports will be eligible; when funding is likely to become available; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in this year's Budget that funding to maintain existing air connectivity to London—first announced in the 2013 spending round last June—will increase from £10 million to £20 million per year. The Chancellor also announced that support from this funding will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from UK regional airports. European Union aviation state aid guidelines allow for start-up aid to be provided under certain conditions to facilitate the development of new routes from airports which handle fewer than 5 million passengers per year. This currently includes Newcastle airport.
	The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union state aid guidelines, and explain how the funding process will operate.

Bus Services: Visual Impairment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department's review of the proposed EU bus and coach regulation will consider representations from guide dog organisations about the needs of disabled people who use guide dogs on public transport.

Stephen Hammond: EU Regulation 181/2011 on bus and coach passenger rights came into force in all member states on 1 March 2013. The Government took the decision to make use of a number of time-limited exemptions, including one exempting drivers from mandatory disability awareness training. However, we committed to review the use of this exemption in March 2014.
	In order to inform the review, my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer wrote to the bus and coach industry on 24 February to establish the structure and effectiveness of disability awareness training courses used by various organisations and to assess whether a significant upward trend in the provision of disability awareness training among drivers has occurred since the exemption's application. Baroness Kramer has also sought input from a number of disability groups and charities (including Guide Dogs for the Blind and the RNIB) on the effectiveness of disability awareness training.

Driving: Diabetes

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued on the interpretation of nocturnal hypoglycaemic events for the purposes of EU Directive 2009/112/EC and 2009/113/EC; how that guidance differs from that issued for daytime hypoglycaemic events; and what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for those guidelines.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency provides guidance on hypoglycaemia to all drivers who notify they have insulin treated diabetes. Advice is also available on gov.uk.
	Drivers who experience recurrent episodes of severe hypoglycaemia cannot be issued with a licence. Severe hypoglycaemia is defined as needing the assistance of a third party to treat the episode. Recurrent severe hypoglycaemia is more than one episode of severe hypoglycaemia in 12 months. These standards are specified in the Third European Union Directive on driving licences, which does not distinguish between events while a person is awake or asleep. The European Commission has confirmed that hypoglycaemia occurring at night cannot be discounted when considering the number of occurrences of severe hypoglycaemia in 12 months.
	The guidelines are based on standards determined by experts from across the European Union and agreed by the Secretary of State for Transport's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes Mellitus.

Driving: Licensing

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the introduction of a graduated driving licensing scheme for young drivers.

Robert Goodwill: Improving the safety and ability of young drivers is a key priority for the Government which is why we have made the driving test more realistic. The Department is considering several other options to ensure that newly qualified drivers are properly prepared and drive safely.
	This is a difficult topic and it is important that we get this right. Once we are confident that we have struck the right balance between driver safety and restricting the freedom of our young people we will come forward with our proposals.

Driving: Licensing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 139W on driving: licensing, how many cases handled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency that required medical decisions were returned within the 90 working days target in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The information the hon. Member has requested is not readily available. I have asked officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to collate the required information and I will write to the hon. Member when it is available. I will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

Durham Tees Valley Airport

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support Durham Tees Valley Airport has received from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund; and whether Durham Tees Valley Airport will benefit from the expansion of this fund announced in the Budget 2014.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport has received no applications in connection with Durham Tees Valley Airport for the funding set aside in last year's spending round for supporting air services. The Chancellor announced in this year's Budget that support will be provided for start-up aid for new air routes from the UK's regional airports. The Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will ordinarily expect to interpret the European Union aviation state aid guidelines on start-up aid, and explain how the funding process will work.

Electric Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to encourage people to purchase low-emission electric vehicles.

Robert Goodwill: The UK already has one of the most comprehensive packages of support in place to encourage the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles. This includes grants towards the purchase price of the vehicle, and a home chargepoint, tax incentives, and support for an ever increasing network of rapid chargepoints. We have just launched a joint industry-Government communications campaign to dispel some of the myths around these vehicles, and recently announced a further £500 million of support for the period 2015-20. We currently plan to announce how this funding will be allocated in the spring.

Electric Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to enable better services, longer battery life and better performance of low-emission electric vehicles in urban areas.

Robert Goodwill: The ultra-low emission vehicles on sale now are perfectly suited to a significant proportion of typical journeys, 99% of which are under 100 miles. The motor industry is investing billions of pounds into low carbon research and development and the Government recently committed £500 million, to be matched by industry, for the new Advanced Propulsion Centre. This is in addition to the £82 million already committed for research and development through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. We are also working with industry to develop one of the largest rapid chargepoint networks in Europe.

Railways: North-West

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects new trains to run on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line.

Stephen Hammond: We expect the electric powered rolling stock to begin services on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line from the December 2014 timetable.

Railways: North-West

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date orders were placed for rolling stock to operate on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line.

Stephen Hammond: The electric powered rolling stock being supplied for the operation on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line will be cascaded rolling stock. We are currently in negotiations with the current operator with regard to this matter, and will confirm full details in due course.
	It will be for bidders for the new long-term franchise beginning in February 2016 to propose new rolling stock beyond that date.

Railways: North-West

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects training for train drivers to operate rolling stock on the electrified Liverpool to Manchester line to begin.

Stephen Hammond: Northern have informed the Department that the process for such training began last year.

Road Traffic: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the level of traffic congestion in Harlow constituency in each year since 1997.

Robert Goodwill: Estimates of road congestion levels for parliamentary constituencies are not held centrally.
	We do however hold data at the local authority level. Road congestion is measured in the Department by morning peak speeds, defined as 7 am to 10 am. In 2013, the average weekday morning peak speed, on locally managed A roads in Essex (local authority), which contains Harlow constituency, was estimated to be 30.5 miles per hour. The equivalent figure for the whole of England in 2013 was 24.7 miles per hour.
	Equivalent figures for earlier years back to 2007, and all other local highway authorities in England, can be found on the Department for Transport's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279125/cgn0206.xls

Roads: Dudley

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's £140 million fund to repair weather-damaged roads he plans to allocate to Dudley metropolitan borough council.

Robert Goodwill: The Department announced on 20 March 2014 that we had allocated a total of £318,757 to Dudley metropolitan borough council to help repair their roads damaged by the recent severe wet weather. A breakdown of the allocations we have made to all councils can be found at the following weblink:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/294497/extra-funding-to-repair-roads.csv/preview

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the £183.5 million funding commitment to help repair local roads damaged by severe weather announced by him on 20 March 2014 is the same allocation as the £140 million of spending for pothole repair announced by him on 9 March 2014.

Robert Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mary Creagh) on 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 6W.

Taxis: Licensing

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will estimate the number of private hire cabs granted their licence by one local authority operating predominantly in a different local authority area.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this information as licensing enforcement is a matter for local licensing authorities. The crucial point about the lawful operation of private hire vehicles is that a licensed private hire operator must, when fulfilling a booking, use vehicles and drivers licensed by the same local licensing authority as granted the operator licence. Actual journeys can start outside, or go beyond, or be wholly outside, the local authority's boundary.

TREASURY

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the difference between paragraph 1.6 of Tax-Free Childcare: consultation on design and operation, which states that tax-free childcare will ultimately be available to up to around 2.5 million working families in the UK and paragraph B.4 of the Government's response to that consultation, which states that around 1.9 million families will be eligible for tax-free child care; and what the difference is between being eligible for the scheme and having qualifying child care costs.

Nicky Morgan: The high-level estimates from the consultation document have been refined using the latest survey data, removing overlaps with families with access to other policies, and reflecting the final policy following formal consultation.
	Details of the number of families who are eligible for the scheme, what makes someone eligible for the scheme, and the definition of qualifying child care costs can be found in Delivering Tax-Free Childcare: the Government's response to the consultation on design and operation:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293084/PU1607_Tax_free_Childcare_response.pdf

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase (a) the ex gratia payment of £5,000 to holders of Equitable Life with-profits annuities dating from before 1 September 1992 and (b) the additional £5,000 to those policyholders who are in receipt of pension credit; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Government have no plans to make any changes to these payments, which have now been issued to eligible annuitants.

Fixed Interest Securities: Pensioners

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK pensioners resident abroad will be eligible to subscribe to the proposed fixed-rate savings bond for pensioners.

Sajid Javid: holding answer 24 March 2014
	National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has over 25 million customers, many of whom access their investments from overseas.
	The fixed-rate savings bonds announced at Budget 2014 will be open to UK pensioners living abroad aged 65 and over, provided they have a UK bank account in their name, and subject to the terms and conditions of the products which will be decided in advance of launch.

Fixed Interest Securities: Pensioners

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether interest paid on the proposed fixed-rate savings bonds for pensioners announced in his Budget will be classed as debt interest for the purpose of analysing Government spending.

Sajid Javid: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will determine the classification of this product. At Budget 2014 the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) assumed that as with all other National Savings and Investments (NS&I) products, customer deposits into the NS&I bonds will constitute a form of public borrowing and interest payments will be a debt interest cost.
	In addition, given that the bonds are a Budget measure designed to offer targeted support to a particular group of savers, the costs of raising funding through these bonds, rather than gilts, was also represented in Table 2.1 of the Budget 2014 document.

Housing

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the Capital DEL budget for CLG Communities how much investment and of what type was (a) allocated for and (b) spent on housing investment for each of the last five years; and what allocation he has made for future years.

Danny Alexander: DCLG's capital spend from 2010-11 to 2012-13 is set out in the Department's annual report and accounts for these years.
	DCLG's capital budgets for housing from 2013-14 to 2014-15 are set out in the Department's 2013-14 Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum.
	The Government have committed to invest significant capital funding in housing beyond 2014-15. Spending round 2013 included £3.3 billion of support for new affordable housing over three years from 2015-16, and Budget 2014 provided £6 billion of additional investment to extend the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to March 2020.

Income Tax: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual underpayment of income tax as a result of not all pensioners being sent tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13.

David Gauke: No such estimate has been made.
	Not all individuals of state pensionable age need to complete a self-assessment (SA) tax return. The majority of people with reasonably straightforward tax affairs pay their income tax liability through their Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax code.

Public Expenditure

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast for net debt in 2015-16 was made in (a) June 2010, (b) December 2013 and (c) March 2014.

Nicky Morgan: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out forecasts for public sector net debt in the publication “Economic and fiscal outlook”. Figures can be found in Table C6 of the June Budget 2010 available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/budget-2010/
	Table 4.38 for December 2013 available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-december-2013/
	and Table 1.4 for March 2014 available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2014/

Social Security

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount welfare spending was forecast to grow each year in the absence of the welfare cap announced in the 2014 Budget.

Nicky Morgan: The welfare cap has been set at the level of the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecast, as published in the OBR's March 2014 “Economic and fiscal outlook”.

Tax Allowances: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance is provided by HM Revenue and Customs to those of pensionable age to ensure that all allowances and reliefs due to them are provided; and what such reliefs are automatically attributed when reconciling the tax liabilities of those of pensionable age.

David Gauke: All PAYE customer records are reconciled at the end of the tax year to check whether they have paid the correct amount of income tax due via their PAYE tax code throughout the tax year. The tax calculations are based on the most up to date information held on the customer's record by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
	Information about the tax allowances and reliefs available along with details of where customers can seek additional help and guidance is available on the HMRC and gov.uk websites.

Taxation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of total tax paid by people of (a) pensionable and (b) non-pensionable age in the UK; and what proportion of that total taxable income was derived from (i) employment, (ii) private pension, (iii) state pension and (iv) interest on dividends in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11, (C) 2011-12 and (D) 2012-13.

David Gauke: Information about employment and pension incomes is published in the HMRC National Statistics table. 3.6 which is available at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/earned-income-2010-to-2011
	Information about dividend income is published in table 3.7 which is available at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-income-2010-to-2011
	Information about incomes and tax liabilities for taxpayers of state pension age is published in table 3.12 which is available at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-and-tax-for-individuals-of-pension-age-by-gender-region-and-country-2010-to-2011
	These tables are available for 2009-10 and earlier years from the National Archives through the following address:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http:/hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm
	This information is not currently available for the year 2012-13 because the Survey of Personal Incomes has not been finalised.

Taxation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) taxpayers and (b) taxpayers of pensionable age were represented by a tax agent in the latest year for which data are available.

David Gauke: The information is as follows:
	(a) It is estimated that 61% of individuals who file an income tax return have authorised an agent to administer their tax affairs.
	(b) Approximately 20% of the individuals who file an income tax return are of state pension age and 60% of them have authorised an agent.
	These estimates are based on self-assessment tax returns filed for the year 2011-12, which is the latest and most complete year available.

Taxation: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who (a) applied to be paid investment income without deduction of tax at source in the last year and (b) qualify for this relief but do not apply for it.

David Gauke: No estimate is made by HMRC of either the number of pensioners who register with an account provider to receive savings or investment income gross, or the number of eligible pensioners who could but have not done so.

Taxation: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the total number of retired taxpayers asked to submit tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 were (i) pensioners and (ii) not yet of state pensionable age in each of the tax years.

David Gauke: The information is available only at a disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Pensioners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of pensionable age were asked to submit tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13.

David Gauke: Around 20% of individuals required to complete a self-assessment (SA) tax return are of state pension age.

Young People: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Financial Statement of 19 March 2014, if he will fund the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust in Northern Ireland on the same basis as the funding announced for the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace and the Lockerbie Scholarships; and if he will make a statement.

Nicky Morgan: I understand that liquidators were appointed to the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust in June 2013. Decisions on funding such bodies in Northern Ireland remain a matter for the devolved Administration.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints about abortion clinics were made to the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 12 months; what action was taken on each such complaint; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on (i) the earliest point in its development an unborn child will experience pain, (ii) the earliest gestational age at which an unborn child may be capable of being born alive, (iii) the number of occasions when an unborn child is wrongly diagnosed as being handicapped and is subsequently born without disability or handicap and (iv) the suicide rate among women who have had an abortion since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: In 2008, the Department commissioned the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to update its 1997 report “Fetal Awareness, Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice”. This was published in 2010 and a copy has already been placed in the Library.
	The British Association of Perinatal Medicine published guidance not commissioned by the Department in October 2008 entitled “The Management of Babies born Extremely Preterm at less than 26 weeks of gestation: A Framework for Clinical Practice at the time of Birth”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
	The Department does not hold information on the other aspects raised.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged (a) 18 to 24 years and (b) 25 to 30 years old in each strategic health authority area who had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four, (v) five, (vi) six, (vii) seven, (viii) eight, (ix) nine and (x) 10 or more previous abortions had an abortion in 2012.

Jane Ellison: The numbers of abortions requested are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Abortions for age groups 18-24 and 25-29, by number of previous abortions and Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of residence, 2012 
			  Number of previous abortions 
			  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
			 SHA 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 18-24 25-29 
			 East 4,516 1,886 1,434 1,070 311 327 50 78 10 21 0 10 0 2 0 2 
			 East Midlands 3,654 1,516 998 768 178 208 25 45 8 15 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 London 9,876 6,447 4,178 3,639 1,038 1,162 229 356 60 89 18 36 6 16 3 4 
			 North East 2,139 805 622 449 108 133 19 46 2 8 1 0 1 0 1 0 
			 North West 7,337 3,057 2,554 1,843 436 452 71 122 19 34 5 10 0 1 0 3 
			 South Central 3,373 1,585 1,095 787 179 211 30 51 5 13 1 1 1 0 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			 South East Coast 3,648 1,398 1,319 826 299 226 36 54 6 24 2 2 0 2 0 1 
			 South West 3,803 1,508 1,157 787 183 210 28 43 10 15 1 2 0 1 0 1 
			 West Midlands 5,435 2,313 2,107 1,483 427 449 75 116 28 34 5 10 0 3 1 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,386 1,797 1,490 1,031 268 288 39 58 4 22 2 4 2 1 0 0 
		
	
	From 2012, the Department of Health has published abortion figures by Clinical Commissioning Group and local authority (LA) of residence. SHA totals are therefore approximations based on an aggregation of the relevant LAs.
	There were no abortions to women aged 18 to 29 who had had eight or more previous abortions.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) statutory instruments, (b) departmental circulars and (c) other documents his Department has published consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 since October 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Since October 2013 the Department has issued the following documents consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.
	Consultation on Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places for the Termination of Pregnancy. This also sought views on the proposed updated “Required Standard Operating Procedures”. The consultation ended on 3 February 2014.
	Letter from the chief medical officer for England to all medical practitioners to remind them of the provisions of the Abortion Act and that abortion on grounds of gender alone is illegal.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed in 2012; and how many and what proportion of such procedures were performed to save the life of the mother.

Jane Ellison: In 2012, there were 185,122 abortions performed on residents of England and Wales. None of these abortions was performed under Ground F, to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Alcoholic Drinks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings his Department had with representatives of (a) the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, (b) the Scotch Whisky Association, (c) the British Beer and Pub Association, (d) Diageo, (e) SAB Miller and (f) The Portman Group between 1 November 2013 and 19 March 2014.

Jane Ellison: Officials in the alcohol policy team meet drinks industry representatives on a regular basis in the course of their normal activities, primarily through the Responsibility Deal.
	Since November 2013, meetings with representatives of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, the Scotch Whisky Association, the British Beer and Pub Association, Diageo and the Portman Group have covered a range of topics including, the Responsibility Deal, alcohol labelling, the EU Alcohol Action Plan and the EU Alcohol Strategy.
	Officials in the alcohol policy team have not met SAB Miller between 1 November 2013 and 19 March 2014.
	Details of all ministerial meetings with external parties are published quarterly in arrears on the Department's website. The latest publication can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-external-meetings-2012-to-2013?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Electronic Cigarettes: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on electronic cigarettes.

Jane Ellison: Electronic cigarettes have been the subject of much debate in recent years both domestically and at the European Union level, particularly since the European Commission published its proposal for a revised Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in December 2012.
	The Department of Health (England) led the negotiations on the revised TPD, including the regulation of electronic cigarettes, for the United Kingdom Government. Common positions were agreed through regular discussions between officials in the Department and those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Epilepsy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether prescribing physicians receive specialised training about prescribing anti-epileptic medications to pregnant women.

Daniel Poulter: All doctors, during undergraduate and postgraduate training, are made aware of all of the current evidence when prescribing in pregnancy. Prescribers must weigh up the risk of prescribing anti-epileptic medications in pregnancy against the risk of poorly controlled epilepsy in the pregnant woman.
	NHS England has advised that it would expect clinicians to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG137
	In addition, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists provides training on prescribing anti-epileptic medicine during pregnancy.

Epilepsy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds pre-conception counselling for women taking anti-epilepsy medications was removed from the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Daniel Poulter: The changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are part of a wide ranging set of changes to the general practitioner (GP) contract for 2014-15. It is intended that these contract changes will encourage GPs and their practice teams to provide more personalised and proactive care for patients.
	Changes to the QOF were negotiated with the General Practitioners Committee, which is part of the British Medical Association.
	We understand that NHS England is currently developing procedures and protocols for continued data analysis and reporting for the indicators that will be retired from the QOF in April 2014. NHS England is committed to utilising this information to promote quality improvement in the care patients receive.

Female Genital Mutilation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to provide services to support midwives reporting cases of female genital mutilation.

Jane Ellison: The Government published the guidance ‘Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation’ on 24 February 2011, which provides advice to health professionals on when they should report cases under section 47 of the 1989 Children Act.
	Guidance is also available from various, professional bodies, for example, the General Medical Council and the Royal College of Midwives. In addition, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children female genital mutilation (FGM) helpline, co-funded by the Home Office, is a resource for health professionals and young people with concerns about safeguarding issues.
	The Department is also working with NHS England, Health Education England and the Royal Colleges to develop materials and training to support national health service staff including midwives to better identify and support girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Further announcements on this work will be made in due course.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to point 12 of the minutes published from the JCVI's meeting of October 2013 whether the Joint PHE-JCVI-DH-NICE working group has been established.

Jane Ellison: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Workington (Sir Tony Cunningham) on 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 578W.

Malnutrition

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of malnutrition in people with a learning disability; and what steps his Department is taking to address that matter.

Norman Lamb: No assessment has been made by the Department of the prevalence of malnutrition in people with a learning disability.

Maternity Services: Foreign Nationals

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what primary research his Department has conducted in the last five years on the incidence of maternity health tourism.

Jane Ellison: As part of the consultation, to better understand the impact of treating visitors and migrants, the Department commissioned two independent reports which included research on both the incidence of health tourism and the use of maternity services by different groups of visitors and migrants. The first of these, “Qualitative Assessment of Visitor and Migrant use of the NHS in England: Observations from the Front-Line” by Creative Research, consisted of primary research, conducting interviews with staff on the front-line. The second, “Quantitative Assessment of Visitor and Migrant Use of the NHS in England” by Prederi, was a quantitative report which consisted of secondary analysis, using existing data to model the potential sizes of population groups and the cost of their use of the national health service. These were both published on 22 October 2013. Copies of both these reports have been placed in the Library.
	Previous to this, an internal review “2012 Review of overseas visitors charging policy”, on the current rules and procedures for charging visitors and migrants for NHS health care, including maternity care, was published on 3 July 2013. This formed the basis of a departmental consultation on a range of proposals to make a new, fairer and simpler charging system. A copy of this review has already been placed in the Library.
	The Department published its response to the consultation on visitor and migrant free access to the NHS on 30 December 2013 setting out initial decisions and next steps.

Mental Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take over the next 12 months to improve care for mental health patients in the NHS in Essex; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to increase the number of mental health specialists in the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to improve detection of mental health illnesses in people under 24 years of age; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of people younger than 65 years old with mental health problems who receive adequate care; what steps he plans to take in each of the next 12 months to ensure that such people receive adequate care; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what steps he plans to take in the next 12 months to improve care for mental health patients within the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what steps he (a) has taken in each year since 2010 and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to expand the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  what steps he (a) has taken in each year since 2010 and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to make cognitive behavioural therapy more widely available; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Improving mental health and well-being is a priority for this Government. A significant programme of activity within Government and by our system partners supports the delivery of our over-arching priority: to ensure mental health has equal priority with physical health, and that everyone who needs it has timely access to the best available mental health provision.
	We have made improving mental health, and treating mental illness, a key priority for NHS England. One of NHS England's 24 objectives is to put mental health on a par with physical health, and close the health gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole. We will hold the national health service to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients through the NHS Outcomes Framework.
	We are setting up a new, national Mental Health Intelligence Network to provide comprehensive, up-to- date information about mental health and well-being, mental health problems and what the most pressing needs are in each area. Public Health England (PHE) is embedding mental health across its work in support of improving the public's health and has made mental health one of its five health impact priorities.
	PHE is also leading a programme of activity aimed at strengthening both the role of local authorities, schools and colleges, health services and others in early intervention and prevention.
	Early intervention will also be a topic addressed at the national summit on psychosis which the Department is convening in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness. This will bring together a range of stakeholders to determine the best ways to support local commissioning of best practice care for psychosis and severe mental illness.
	By improved co-ordination between emergency and mental health services, we are working to deliver a fast, effective and safe response to people experiencing mental health crisis through delivery of the action plan set out in our new Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat and via our street triage schemes.
	Our mental health action plan, Closing the Gap, shows how changes in local service planning and delivery will make a difference, in the next couple of years, to the lives of people with mental health problems, setting out 25 priority areas where people can expect to experience the fastest changes.
	The Government have committed to the continued roll-out of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme for people with depression and anxiety. We have invested over £400 million to give thousands of people, in all areas of the country, access to approved psychological therapies. We are also investing £54 million over four years (2011-15) in the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, giving children and young people improved and timely access to the best mental health care. Cognitive behavioural therapy is included in the suite of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended, evidence-based therapies offered through IAPT.
	Our mandate to NHS England explicitly identifies the delivery of the IAPT programme as a key priority for the NHS.
	In our mandate to Health Education England (HEE), we have asked HEE to ensure that there are sufficient therapists and other staff with the right skills to support the delivery of the IAPT programme. HEE will also look at the mental health work force more widely to ensure sufficient numbers of psychiatrists. It will also have a pivotal role in the achievement of our goal of equal priority for mental as well as physical health by developing training programmes that will enable employers to ensure that staff have an awareness of mental health problems and how they may affect patients.
	HEE is working closely with NHS England to ensure that training for the IAPT work force is commissioned to meet the service needs identified by providers of IAPT services. Overall commissioning of IAPT training is on course to meet the 2013-14 plan. The published IAPT plan for 2014-15, detailed in the work force plan for England, published in December 2013, will take us past the 6,000 additional IAPT practitioners level in 2015. HEE and NHS England are working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre to ensure that routine data relating to this important work force are collected and analysed to support future planning and training commissioning.
	The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey series provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorder in the English adult population (aged 16 and over). The Government have made no specific, recent assessment of the number of people under 65 in receipt of care for mental health problems. A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is the means by which clinical commissioning groups and local authorities are expected to identify and describe the health, care and well-being needs of their local populations and to identify the strategic direction of service delivery to meet those needs.
	In respect of care and treatment for patients in North Essex, it is a matter for local NHS commissioners to plan, develop and improve services locally.

Mental Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints about mental health care were received by his Department in each year since 2010; what response was given by his Department to each such complaint; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of complaints about mental health care received since 1 January 2010 identified in a search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database. These are minimum figures which represent correspondence received by the Department's ministerial correspondence unit only.
	Details of the responses given by the Department to these complaints could only be made available at disproportionate cost and may be subject to patient confidentiality.
	
		
			 Mental health complaints 
			  Year received 
			 Keyword 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Access to services - 69 81 103 34 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Allegations of fraud - 1 - 1 - 
			 Mental Health Complaint/CAMHS - 7 12 24 11 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Cleanliness/maintenance - 2 3 1 1 
			 Mental Health Complaint/ Equality issues (specify in subject) - 1 1 4 - 
			 Mental Health Complaint/MHA-Community treatment - 21 20 27 8 
			 Mental Health Complaint/MHA-Hospital detention - 56 55 52 7 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Multiple complaint - 41 36 35 11 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Non-DH - 2 1 5 5 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Non-specific complaint - 28 30 16 2 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Older people-standards of care - 5 1 3 - 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Poor governance/management - 13 16 9 1 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Poor nursing/clinical practice - 29 59 72 19 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Reconfiguration/access - 5 10 4 1 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Security - 2 6 13 2 
			 Mental Health Complaint/Third party - 12 7 11 3 
			 Mental Health/Complaints 529 216 - - - 
			 Total 529 510 338 380 105 
			 Note: The Department changed its correspondence keywords in June 2011 in response to the recommendations in the Francis Report. Source: Department of Health Ministerial Correspondence Database

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the services available to support the transition of mental health patients from an early intervention team to a community mental health team;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of patient satisfaction (a) during and (b) after the delivery of mental health services.

Norman Lamb: The Department has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of services available to support the transition of mental health patients from early intervention to community mental health teams.
	Responsibility for a number of national surveys previously carried out by the Department passed to NHS England on 1 April 2013. There are a number of ways in which the national health service and other bodies capture patient satisfaction with mental health services. For example, the Community Mental Health Survey, which is carried out annually by the Care Quality Commission, looks at the experiences of people who have received care or treatment for a mental health condition. NHS England is using this information to understand the service users' experiences and to drive improvement.
	In addition, the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) in Mental Health asks people who use NHS funded services whether they would recommend that service to friends and family who need similar treatment or care. NHS England is currently supporting a number of pathfinder sites to further test guidance on conducting the FFT in mental health services. This guidance will be published at the end of June 2014. NHS England is aware that a number of mental health services are already using the FFT to gain feedback from their patients during and after their treatment. The FFT will be live in all mental health services by the end of December 2014.
	Patient satisfaction surveys form part of the NHS England contracts with mental health service providers.

Mental Health Services: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services: (south-east Essex), what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Care Quality Commission on its work; what response was received in such discussions; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what changes his Department has made to the work of the Care Quality Commission; what such changes are planned in each of the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what progress his Department has made in implementing changes to 25 areas in mental health services in which essential change is needed; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many complaints were received by the NHS about mental health care in each health authority area in each year since 2010;
	(5)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what his timetable is for the introduction of the new inspection regime; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), what areas of health the new inspection regime will cover; who will be appointed to the inspection regime; what relevant specialist qualifications each such appointee will hold; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 358WH, on mental health services (south-east Essex), how much his Department plans to spend on the new inspection regime; what recent discussions he has had with HM Treasury on this issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what representations he has received since October 2013 from the Mental Health Foundation; what response he gave to such representations; if he will place in the Library copies of any such response; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what recent assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of increased spending on mental health care; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body accountable to the Secretary of State for discharging its functions, duties and powers efficiently and effectively. The Department monitors CQC's financial and operational performance and risks at a general and strategic level through regular formal accountability meetings. It does not assess CQC's inspection or monitoring of specific providers. Regular meetings are also held between both Ministers and the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Executive of the National Health Service and the Chair and the Chief Executive of CQC, as well as meetings at officials level.
	CQC is responsible for assessing and ensuring the quality of its inspection and monitoring of specific providers on a day-to-day basis. CQC's annual accounts and annual report are laid before Parliament and it is publicly accountable through parliamentary scrutiny, including Select Committees.
	The CQC is currently piloting a new approach for Mental Health inspections. The schedule of pilot inspections will be complete by the end of September 2014 and the new inspection regime will be in place by 1 October 2014.
	The new inspection regime will assess Mental Health services for people of all ages, health services for people with learning disabilities and health services for substance misuse across the NHS and independent sector.
	The CQC intends every inspection team to include clinical experts, namely Health and Social Care professionals, people with experience of managing services in the NHS and independent sector and ‘experts by experience' (current and ex-service users). Each team will be led by a senior figure from the NHS, for instance a Chief Executive, Chair or Medical Director of a provider organisation.
	The CQC intends to ensure that the clinical expertise of inspection teams is appropriate to the range of Mental Health services delivered by the provider under inspection.
	The Department has issued CQC with an indicative Grant in Aid allocation for 2014-15. However, this is subject to formal approval as part of the annual business planning process. The CQC has calculated the indicative cost of its new Mental Health inspection regime for the financial year 2014-15 at £10.7 million. The CQC has taken a robust approach to understanding the resources required by Mental Health inspectors. This reflects the transition from a generic to a more authoritative clinically-led inspection model. In 2014-15 the CQC is planning to recruit up to 79 inspectors with a Mental Health focus.
	Closing the Gap, our mental health action plan was launched in January this year. Progress will be measured and monitored by a variety of mechanisms including the Mental Health System Board, which is responsible for overseeing delivery of our mental health strategy.
	The Department does not collect specific data on complaints relating to NHS mental health care. However, we have general information about NHS Mental Health Services, though this is very broad and cannot be broken down further and covers only written complaints so other expressions of dissatisfaction with care services are not recorded or collected centrally.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Written Complaints for Mental Health Services within each Strategic Health Authority (SHA) Area, England 
			 Numbers 
			  England North East SHA North West SHA Yorkshire and the Humber SHA East Midlands SHA West Midlands SHA East of England SHA London SHA South East Coast SHA South Central SHA South West SHA 
			 2012-13 11,749 543 1,415 777 1,197 824 1,157 2,427 1,066 721 1,622 
			 2011-12 10,439 427 1,345 617 1,423 813 1,130 2,239 883 552 1,010 
			 2010-111 8,752 412 1,109 630 1,392 828 454 1,711 754 594 868 
			 1 Prior to 2011-12 Foundation Trust participation was voluntary. 
		
	
	NHS England has established a Parity of Esteem programme with the aim of putting mental health on a par with physical health, and of closing the gap between people with mental health problems and the population as a whole. Key objectives within this programme are to improve the data, information and intelligence available to commissioners to support decisions on investment being made. This will include continuing to build the evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of interventions.
	The Mental Health Foundation wrote to the Secretary of State for Health the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), in December 2013 to express concerns regarding early mortality rates among people with mental health conditions compared with the general population.
	The Mental Health Foundation also met the Secretary of State and me on 22 January this year along with the Chief Executive Officers of Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Network and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Mental Health.

Mental Health Services: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatrists were employed in each hospital in Essex in each year since 2010; what the grade and average salary was of such staff; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Information is not available in the format requested. Data are available by organisation, not at individual hospital level. The following tables show the requested information for provider organisations in Essex.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical staff within the psychiatry group of specialties, by grade, for specified organisations, as at 30 September each year 
			 Full time equivalents (FTEs) 
			  Organisation name Organisation code All staff Consultant Associate specialist Speciality doctor Staff grade 
			 2010 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 1 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 120 46 6 12 1 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 181 79 21 13 12 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			         
			 2011 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 1 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 119 42 5 15 1 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 183 81 19 19 2— 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			         
			 2012 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 2 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
		
	
	
		
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 119 46 5 13 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 188 81 16 23 2— 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			         
			 2013 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 1 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1 2— 2— 2— 2— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 117 47 5 12 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 187 84 14 28 2— 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 1— 
		
	
	
		
			 Full-time equivalents (FTEs) 
			  Organisation name Organisation code Registrar group Senior house officer Foundation year 2 House officer and foundation year 1 
			 2010 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 2— 2— 1 2— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 2— 2— 1 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 54 2 2— 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 45 2— 9 2 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			        
			 2011 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 2— 2— 1 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 55 1 2— 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 
		
	
	
		
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 52 3 7 2 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			        
			        
			 2012 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 2— 2— 2 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 55 1 2— 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 58 3 6 2 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			        
			 2013 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RDD 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 2— 2— 1 2— 
			  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 2— 2— 2— 1 
			  North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 52 1 2— 2— 
			  Provide NQA 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			  South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 49 1 7 3 
			  Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RAJ 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			 1 Not applicable. 2 Zero. Notes: 1. 2010-12 figures are based on annual census data. 2013 are September 2013 provisional monthly data. 2. Figures for numbers of FTEs have been rounded to the nearest integer. 3. These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave. 4. ‘Provide' is the trading name of Central Essex Community Services, a community interest company. 5. Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 the HSCIC has published experimental, provisional monthly NHS work force data (experimental tag has been removed from 24 April 2012). As expected with provisional data, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly work force data are not directly comparable with the annual work force census; they only include those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. they do not include primary care staff or bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce 6. Data Quality: The HSCIC seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data, but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC): provisional National Health Service HCHS monthly workforce statistics; Medical and Dental Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			 Estimated mean annual basic pay per full-time equivalent for NHS hospital and community health services: HCHS doctors in the psychiatry specialty group of specialties, within the Essex area, 2010 to 2013 
			   Mean annual basic pay per FTE (£) 
			 Organisation name Organisation code September 2010 September 2011 September 2012 September 2013 
			 Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust RDE 1— 2— 2— 2— 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 1— 1— 1— 1— 
			 North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 59,898 60,317 61,974 63,046 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust RQW 2— 2— 2— 1— 
			 South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 63,761 64,310 63,731 65,936 
			 1 Data are obscured as the group had less than 10 FTE staff, in line with the Data Protection Act. 2 Zero. Notes: 1. Mean annual basic pay per FTE is the mean amount of basic pay paid per one FTE post in a 12-month period. 2. Figures in the table are provisional NHS staff earnings estimates. 3. Figures do not include locum staff. 4. As expected with provisional data, some figures may be revised prior to the next publication as issues are uncovered and resolved. 5. Figures rounded to the nearest pound. 6. These figures represent payments made using the ESR system to NHS staff who are employed and directly paid by NHS organisations. 7. These figures have been calculated by taking the basic pay of each individual in September of each year, converting this to what basic pay they would each earn if they worked full-time, and then multiplying this by 12 to obtain an estimate of annual basic pay (salary). This is a cruder method than is used in HSCIC’s published figures but has been proved to be an acceptable method and necessary due to the amount of work otherwise required to answer this question on time. 8. Data quality: The HSCIC seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre: provisional NHS Staff Earnings estimates. All rights reserved.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to stop hoax letters purporting to be from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence informing recipients that they have cancer.

Norman Lamb: We have been informed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that it is aware that a hoax e-mail is being sent to members of the public purporting to be from NICE which advises the recipient that ‘test results’ indicate they may have cancer.
	NICE has informed the Metropolitan Police who are currently investigating the origin of the e-mail. NICE has also reported the hoax e-mail to Action Fraud, the United Kingdom's national fraud and internet crime reporting centre.
	NICE has been proactive in ensuring that members of the public understand that the e-mail is a hoax. This has included messages on the NICE website and inquiry line, social media channels and through briefing national and local media. NICE is advising anyone in receipt of the e-mail to delete it and to report it to Action Fraud:
	www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Parkinson's Disease

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to hospitals on ensuring that people with Parkinson's able to self-administer medication in hospital can do so.

Norman Lamb: The Department has responsibility for health care in England. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued a clinical guideline (CG35) on ‘Parkinson's disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care’ in June 2006. This stated that, in view of the risks of sudden changes in Parkinson's disease medication, people with Parkinson's disease, who are admitted to hospital or care homes, should have their medication given at appropriate times, which may in some cases mean allowing self-medication.
	http://publications.nice.org.uk/parkinsons-disease-cg35/guidance
	NHS England advises that each national health service trust in England should have its own medicine management policies and procedures. These should include how to minimise and manage omitted and delayed medicines and have regard to the National Patient Safety Agency's Rapid Response Report 2010/RRR009, ‘Reducing harm from omitted and delayed medicines in hospital’. This provides a list of critical medicines, including those to treat Parkinson's disease, where the timeliness of administration was identified.
	www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/alerts/?entryid45=66720
	In addition there is other guidance issued by professional bodies, such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS). The RPS issued ‘Professional standards for hospital pharmacy services: optimising patient outcomes from medicines’ in 2012. This states that pharmacists should take steps to minimise omitted and delayed medicines doses in hospitals. The pharmacy team should provide the leadership, systems support and expertise that enable patients to self-administer medicines, where possible. In addition, systems should be in place to prioritise dispensing in order to minimise the risks of omitted and delayed doses of critical medicines or of delayed discharge.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Norman Lamb: The cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out will depend on the number of claimants at that time. This number will depend on a range of factors. This is likely to be greater than the number of people that currently qualify for free prescriptions because of their current benefits or tax credits. However the Government intend that broadly the same number of individuals will be passported via universal credit as are currently passported.

Prostate Cancer

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to consider using its end-of-life criteria in its appraisal of abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions his officials have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concerning the applicability of NICE's end of life criteria to (a) abiraterone for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen and (b) abiraterone acetate for the treatment of metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy since May 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the March 2012 letter from Simon Reeve in his Department to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concerning the appraisal of the treatment abiraterone for prostate cancer.

Norman Lamb: As an independent body it is for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to decide when it is appropriate to apply its end of life flexibilities.
	As a stakeholder in the appraisal, the Department replied to NICE's consultation on its draft recommendations on abiraterone (Zytiga) for the treatment of castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen. A copy of the letter sent to NICE has been placed in the Library.
	NICE is currently appraising the use of abiraterone for metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy and has not yet issued draft guidance for consultation. Departmental officials have had no other contact with NICE about the application of its end of life flexibilities in either of these appraisals.

Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions there have been under the Sunbed (Regulations) Act 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the Sunbeds (Regulations) Act 2010, and any decisions on prosecutions or other regulatory action of sunbed businesses is a matter for them. There are no national statistics on the number of prosecutions.

JUSTICE

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in each year for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: Cyber crime is a serious threat to the UK and this Government have taken action to tackle it. The Home Office has so far spent £43 million from the National Cyber Security Programme to build law enforcement capabilities to tackle cyber crime, and we expect to invest further in 2014-15 to continue this work.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences relating to the Computer Misuse Act 1990, from 1990 to 2012 (latest available), can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences relating to the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 1990-20121,2 
			      Of which:  
			  Proceeded Against Found Guilty3 Conviction Ratio4 Sentenced5 Immediate custody Custody Rate (percentage)6 
			 1990 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1991 1 1 100.0 1 1 100.0 
			 1992 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1993 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1994 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1995 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1996 2 2 100.0 2 0 0 
			 1997 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1998 16 9 56.3 9 0 0 
			 1999 13 11 84.6 11 3 27.3 
			 2000 19 15 78.9 15 4 26.7 
		
	
	
		
			 2001 25 31 124.0 31 8 25.8 
			 2002 18 14 77.8 14 6 42.9 
			 2003 19 5 26.3 5 2 40.0 
			 2004 21 12 57.1 12 1 8.3 
			 2005 24 16 66.7 18 3 16.7 
			 2006 25 18 72.0 17 4 23.5 
			 2007 19 10 52.6 9 0 0 
			 20087 17 12 70.6 13 2 15.4 
			 2009 19 10 52.6 10 0 0 
			 2010 10 18 180.0 18 4 22.2 
			 2011 11 11 100.0 11 2 18.2 
			 2012 25 27 108.0 27 7 25.9 
			 Total 284 222 78.2 223 47 21.1 
			 1 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against as the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in an earlier year and the defendants were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year; or the defendants were found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against. 4 Conviction ratio is calculated as the number of convictions as a proportion of the number of proceedings. 5 The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court, may be sentenced in the following year. 6 The proportion of offenders sentenced who are sentenced to immediate custody. 7 Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Courts

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of cases referred by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service to a Crown or magistrates court in England and Wales were adjourned (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) four or more times in each of the last two years.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice centrally collates data on the number cases before magistrates courts and the Crown court in England and Wales, and the total number of hearings each case had before it concluded and from that how many times the case was adjourned from its first hearing to its final hearing. An adjournment is a hearing that is suspended, meaning that a case will be further considered by the court at a later hearing. The number of adjournments in a case is therefore one fewer than the total number of hearings taking place. There are a number of different types of hearings from preliminary hearings, bail applications, trials and sentence hearings and different cases require different numbers of hearings.
	It is not possible to separately identify police and Crown Prosecution Service prosecutions in the Crown court so all trial cases are included.
	Table 1 shows data for the number of adjournments of defendants cases at magistrates courts prosecuted by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service, England and Wales, 2010-13.
	Table 2 shows data for the number of adjournments of trial cases at the Crown court (all prosecutor types), England and Wales, 2009-13.
	The proportion of defendants whose case is dealt with in one hearing at the magistrates courts increased from 52% in 2011 to 55% in 2012. Judicially-led initiatives in the Crown court, such as the early guilty plea scheme, and in the magistrates courts, such as stop delaying justice, have started to have an impact on the in court culture with challenge on the need to enter a guilty plea early in the process. The Ministry of Justice is working with Sir Brian Leveson and is investing in new technology to reduce the number of adjourned cases.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of adjournments at magistrates courts prosecuted by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service, England and Wales, 2010-131, 2, 3, 4 
			 Defendants (number) 
			 Adjournments 20105 2011 2012 20134 
			 0 453,397 564,640 561,390 436,029 
			 1 204,707 257,395 239,144 164,816 
			 2 100,244 124,153 106,875 71,658 
			 3 52,980 65,804 55,120 35,963 
			 4 or more 61,049 74,610 59,192 39,198 
			      
			 Total defendants 872,377 1,086,602 1,021,721 747,664 
		
	
	
		
			 1 Includes all cases completed in the magistrates courts. 2 Excludes breaches and cases with an offence to completion time greater than 10 years. 3 Only one offence is counted for each defendant in the case. If two or more cases complete on the same day, the case with the longest duration is included. 4 Latest information available to September 2013. 5 Figures are only available from April 2010, so data for 2010 is presented above for Q2 to Q4 only. Source: Criminal Court Statistics, Justice Statistics Analytical Services (REF: PQ 190168). 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of adjournments1 of trial cases at the Crown court, all prosecutor types, England and Wales, 2009-132,3 
			 Cases (number) 
			 Adjournments 2009 2010 2011 2012 20133 
			 0 9,578 10,393 9,062 8,579 4,701 
			 1 26,938 28,634 25,734 21,933 10,029 
			 2 20,869 22,930 21,169 18,880 8,920 
			 3 13,306 14,344 13,821 13,192 6,220 
			 4 or more 21,738 23,130 23,302 23,696 11,692 
			       
			 Total cases 92,429 99,431 93,088 86,280 41,562 
			 1 Adjournments show the total number of hearings after the first hearing in the Crown court and may include bail applications, mentions, preliminary hearings, trials or sentencing hearings depending on the nature of the case. 2 Includes all trial cases completed in the Crown court in London. Committals for sentence and appeals against magistrates decisions are not included. 3 Latest information available to June 2013. Source: HMCTS CREST case management system (REF: PQ 190168).

Homicide

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants in homicide cases have pleaded the partial defence of diminished responsibility in each year since 2010; and how many defendants have been convicted with diminished responsibility in each of those years.

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced for manslaughter, having successfully pleaded the partial defence of diminished responsibility in England and Wales from 2010 to 2012 (the latest data available) can be viewed in the table. Court proceedings data for this offence for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014
	Manslaughter is an extremely serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Receiving a community sentence or suspended sentence for manslaughter, having successfully pleaded the partial defence of diminished responsibility, would have been the result of the exceptional circumstances of the case.
	The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. Data on the number of cases in which the partial defence of diminished responsibility was unsuccessfully pleaded are not centrally held. This detailed information may be held on the court record but due to the size and complexity is not reported centrally to the MOJ. As such, the information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences of manslaughter where the defence of diminished responsibility was successfully pleaded1, England and Wales, 2010 to 20122,3 
			 Outcome 2010 2011 2012 
			 Found guilty 13 19 13 
			 Sentenced 13 19 13 
			 ‘-' = Nil 1 An offence under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 The category Otherwise Dealt With (ODW) includes: one day in police cells; disqualification order; restraining order; confiscation order; travel restriction order; disqualification from driving; recommendation for deportation, hospital orders; and other miscellaneous disposals. 5 Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Note: Estimates of custody rate and average custodial sentence length may not be reliable due to the small numbers of cases. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Homicide: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people convicted of attempted murder have been granted permission to enter exclusion zones in the Liverpool city region which form part of their licence arrangements since 1 January 2014;
	(2)  if he will initiate a review into the reasons why Mr Edward McEvilly was permitted to enter an exclusion zone in which his victim lives within one week of his release from prison.

Jeremy Wright: An exclusion zone may be put in place where it is necessary to protect victims from sexual and violent offenders on their release from prison. An exclusion zone will also have the benefit of minimising any prospect of victims coming into unwanted contact with such offenders.
	Victims who opt into the victim contact scheme have a statutory right to make representations about exclusion zones they would like to be imposed. However, an exclusion zone will not always be absolute, as it is recognised that there may be exceptional reasons why the offender needs to enter it. Thus, where an exclusion zone is included in the offender's licence, it will usually be open to the supervising officer to grant the offender permission to enter the exclusion zone, for a temporary period and for a specific purpose.
	As this is a purely localised decision, there is no national record of the number of occasions such permission has been given. To answer the hon. Member’s first question would require carrying out a manual search through all relevant individual offender files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
	In the case of Mr McEvilly, his supervising officer in Merseyside Probation Trust found that there was an exceptional reason to permit a temporary incursion into the exclusion zone. The trust undertook a full risk assessment prior to granting Mr McEvilly permission to enter the exclusion zone for a time-limited period. The trust kept the victim fully informed throughout the process and a senior probation manager notified the victim as soon as Mr McEvilly had left the zone. It would therefore not be appropriate to initiate a review into this case.

Judges

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints have been received against named judges in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: The information requested is not held for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011, although because statistical information collected and published in the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) (formerly the Office for Judicial Complaints) annual report contains details of all complaints received by the JCIO, it does not include a separate breakdown of complaints by named judges.
	Complaints against named judges that have not been upheld are removed from the JCIO database, in accordance with the Ministry of Justice retention policy, after two years. It is not possible therefore to obtain the information requested where it is over two years old. The information in respect of complaints received by the JCIO against named judges for the financial year for 2012-13 is 1,487 and for 2013-14 to date is 1,520. These figures include complaints about Coroners and Assistant Coroners and recommendations for disciplinary sanction against Tribunal Judges.

Legal Aid Scheme

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new matter starts there have been in (a) welfare benefits, (b) family and mediation, (c) debt, (d) employment and (e) housing since April 2013.

Shailesh Vara: The number of cases started from April to September 2013 broken down by the areas of legal aid requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Category of Law Case Starts 
			 Welfare Benefits 276 
			 Family 20,548 
			 Mediation 4,774 
			 Debt 1,186 
			 Employment 15 
			 Housing 22,051 
			 Total 48,840 
			 1 Employment has been outside the scope of legal aid since 1 April 2013 which is when the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 came into force. Therefore the five employment cases shown above relate to pre-existing clients. 
		
	
	We have provided figures up to September 2013 as we will be publishing Official Statistics for the full financial year in June 2014.

Mediation

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil claims involving litigants in person were referred to mediation in (a) July to September 2013 and (b) July to September 2012.

Simon Hughes: This information is available only at disproportionate cost. This is because while the volume of referrals to mediation is recorded, the details of individual cases referred are not recorded.
	To obtain the information requested would involve a manual check of every claim that could have been referred to mediation during the periods in question to identify whether or not the claim was referred to mediation, and if so, the status of the parties to the case.
	We are working towards publishing data on self- representation in civil procedures and will publish this in our statistical publication in 2014.
	Parties with no legal representation are not a new phenomenon in our courts. Judges are used to helping persons with no legal representation, including explaining procedures and what is expected of them. Guidance published in April 2013 by the Civil Justice Council specifically for litigants in person bringing or defending a small claim suggests mediation as an alternative to court action.

Missing Persons

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to launch the consultation on the creation of a status of guardian of the affairs of a missing person.

Shailesh Vara: The Government are committed to helping people who are put into the awful position of losing a loved one who has gone missing, which is why we are changing the law on presumption of death to help them to deal with the legal issues that come up. My Department is also working with the charity Missing People and its pro bono lawyers Clifford Chance LLP to prepare the consultation paper on the creation of a status of guardian of the property and affairs of missing persons and intends to publish it as soon as possible this year.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to set out the timetable of meetings to be held by the working groups on whiplash reform; when he expects the recommendations of those working groups to be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), and I met industry experts in January to discuss how we could take forward this work, drawing on the consensus that exists to improve the process. We have since established working groups which have been tasked with drawing up rules to fix the costs of medical reports in whiplash cases. Our intention is that the rules be agreed by the summer. The groups will continue to meet regularly to deliver the reforms. Further details about the programme are published on the MOJ website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/civil-justice-reforms/personal-injury-claims

Prison Service

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mandatory training is given to prison officers to help them identify prisoners susceptible to being radicalised.

Jeremy Wright: All newly recruited prison officers receive training to raise their awareness of extremism and radicalisation, and enable them to confidently and appropriately identify, report, and manage those prisoners who exhibit extremist behaviours. This training is incorporated in their mandatory initial training course. Training is also available to other prison staff, developed in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers, which examines the threat of extremism, how to identify extremist offenders and looks in detail at specific forms of extremism.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners of each (a) ethnicity, (b) country of origin and (c) gender are held in the UK.

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is as follows:
	Table 1 provides information on the ethnicity of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) held in custody:
	
		
			 Table 1: Foreign national prison population by ethnicity, 31 December 2013, England and Wales 
			  All 
			 White 4,326 
			 Mixed 367 
			 Asian or Asian British 1,997 
			 Black or Black British 3,005 
			 Chinese or Other ethnic group 725 
			 Not stated 25 
			 Unrecorded 250 
			 All 10,695 
		
	
	Table 2 provides information on gender of FNOs held in custody:
	
		
			 Table 2: Foreign national prison population by gender, 31 December 2013, England and Wales 
			  All 
			 Male 10,130 
			 Female 565 
			 All 10,695 
		
	
	We do not hold data on the country of origin of FNOs held in custody. However we do publish data in relation to self-declared nationality, which can be found here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276084/prison-population-tables-q3-2013.xls
	(table 1.6)
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	All FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed 235 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government have begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisoners: Muslims

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners in the (a) whole secure estate, (b) adult male secure estate, (c) adult female secure estate, (d) youth male secure estate and (e) youth female secure estate identified as Muslim on 1 January in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Data are held centrally on the prison population on the last day of each month, so figures have been provided for 31 December. Table 1 provides the number and proportion of Muslim prisoners in the (a) whole secure estate, (b) adult male secure estate, (c) youth male secure estate and (d) female secure estate from 2009 to 2013.
	Table 2 shows the number and proportion of young people held within SCHs and STCs split by (d) males and (e) females, who identify themselves as Muslim. This is self-reported by the young person. The YJB changed its booking system for placing young people into custody during March 2012 from SACHS to eAsset. It is only from this point onwards that information on the religion of the young person in custody was collected. Consequently, data are only available from April 2012 and data by religion are not available for the previous years.
	Please note that the religion of prisoners is self-declared and prisoners are under no obligation to declare their religion.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Table 1: Muslim prison population by type of establishment1, December 2009-132, England and Wales 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			  Muslim Percentage of total estate Muslim Percentage of total estate Muslim Percentage of total estate Muslim Percentage of total estate Muslim Percentage of total estate 
			 Adult Male Secure Estate 8,891 12 9,150 13 9,794 13 9,842 13 10,451 14 
			 Youth Male Secure Estate 1,208 14 1,172 15 1,260 18 1,133 19 1,100 19 
			 Female Secure Estate3 216 6 203 5 207 6 204 6 178 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Whole Estate 10,315 12 10,525 13 11,261 13 11,179 13 11,729 14 
			 1 Based on predominant function of the prison. 2 Data for 2009 as at 18 December whereas data for 2010-13 as at 31 December. 3 Prisons are categorised by their predominant function. Of all female prisons there are none which are specifically designated for dealing with young female offenders. Data Source and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of young people and proportion of young people in SCHs and STCs who identify themselves as Muslim (where known) by gender 
			  December 2012 December 2013 
			 Gender Total occupancy Occupancy by identity of Muslim Proportion of young people identified as Muslim (percentage) Total occupancy Occupancy by identity of Muslim Proportion of young people identified as Muslim (percentage) 
			 Male 313 33 11 345 23 7 
			 Female 45 1 2 59 3 5 
			 Total 358 34 9 404 26 6 
			 Notes: 1. The YJB changed its booking system for placing young people into custody during March 2012 from SACHS to eAsset. It is only from this point onwards that information on the religion of the young person in custody was collected. Consequently, data are only available from April 2012 and data by religion are not available for the previous years. 2. It is not compulsory for this information to be completed by the young person and ‘unknown' is an acceptable category, so there are not complete data for this question. In December 2012, the religion of the young person was not known for 52% of the entire youth custody population in SCHs and STCs and in December 2013, the religion of the young person was not known for 58% of the entire youth population in SCHs and STCs. 3. These data are sourced from the eAsset database, the booking system used by the Youth Justice Board to place young people in custody. It is based on the snapshots for December 2012 and December 2013, which is a snapshot date of 28 December 2012 and 3 January 2014 respectively. The data for December 2013 are provisional and will be finalised in January 2015. Data Source and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Muslims

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners in each adult and youth prison in England and Wales identified as Muslim on 1 January of each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Data are held centrally on the prison population on the last day of each month, so figures have been provided for 31 December. Table 1 provides the number and proportion of Muslim prisoners in each prison establishment from 2009 to 2013.
	Table 2 shows the number and proportion of young people held within each Secure Children's Home and Secure Training Centre, who identify themselves as Muslim. This is self-reported by the young person. The YJB changed its booking system for placing young people into custody during March 2012 from SACHS to eAsset. It is only from this point onwards that information on the religion of the young person in custody was collected. Consequently, data are only available from April 2012 and data by religion are not available for the previous years.
	Please note that the religion of prisoners is self-declared and prisoners are under no obligation to declare their religion.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Table 1: Muslim prison population by establishment, December 2009-131, England and Wales 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			  Muslim % of total prison population Muslim % of total prison population Muslim % of total prison population Muslim % of total prison population Muslim % of total prison population 
			 Altcourse 50 4 53 5 46 4 26 2 34 3 
			 Ashfield 22 9 61 20 84 25 39 23 32 8 
			 Ashwell2 20 10 22 10 - - - - - - 
			 Askham Grange 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 5 10 10 
			 Aylesbury 122 28 86 21 107 25 117 29 107 25 
			 Bedford 72 15 56 13 79 17 64 14 80 17 
			 Belmarsh 133 15 150 19 163 18 210 26 234 29 
			 Birmingham 226 16 249 18 214 15 275 19 281 21 
		
	
	
		
			 Blantyre House 16 13 15 12 18 15 14 12 14 12 
			 Blundeston3 110 21 84 19 61 14 60 12 - - 
			 Brinsford 85 16 91 19 83 16 100 20 111 22 
			 Bristol 23 4 27 5 47 8 52 9 56 9 
			 Brixton 171 23 186 27 156 25 154 26 180 24 
			 Bronzefield 25 5 31 7 23 5 24 5 26 5 
			 Buckley Hall 53 14 63 17 69 16 38 9 57 13 
			 Bullingdon 125 11 136 13 142 13 146 14 173 16 
			 Bullwood Hall4 51 23 59 26 78 33 53 26 - - 
			 Bure 13 11 41 8 47 9 55 11 54 9 
			 Canterbury5 82 26 75 26 82 27 71 24 - - 
			 Cardiff 89 11 68 8 55 7 52 7 82 10 
			 Channings Wood 32 4 32 5 33 4 31 4 39 5 
			 Chelmsford 107 16 109 16 77 12 44 7 67 11 
			 Coldingley 86 17 85 17 95 19 88 18 80 16 
			 Cookham Wood 16 15 29 28 31 26 22 25 27 25 
			 Dartmoor 42 7 33 7 44 7 33 5 24 4 
			 Deerbolt 36 7 36 8 40 9 19 6 57 11 
			 Doncaster 109 10 103 10 132 12 108 10 114 10 
			 Dorchester6 11 5 13 6 19 8 18 8 - - 
			 Dovegate 139 13 89 8 92 8 94 9 111 11 
			 Downview7 26 8 20 7 26 9 25 8 - - 
			 Drake Hall 11 4 13 5 20 7 18 6 23 8 
			 Durham 25 3 20 2 24 3 20 2 26 3 
			 East Sutton Park 5 6 6 7 9 10 10 11 6 7 
			 Eastwood Park 11 4 13 5 6 2 4 1 7 2 
			 Edmunds Hill8 71 19 62 17 - - - - - - 
			 Elmley (Sheppey cluster) 74 8 112 9 79 7 98 9 126 10 
			 Erlestoke 36 8 37 10 32 7 47 10 40 8 
			 Everthorpe 49 7 58 9 52 8 55 9 64 9 
			 Exeter 11 2 20 4 5 1 15 3 20 4 
			 Featherstone 84 13 105 16 116 17 95 14 111 16 
			 Feltham 193 30 208 33 226 33 228 35 183 33 
			 Ford 68 13 72 14 64 12 68 14 58 12 
			 Forest Bank 144 12 131 10 123 9 110 9 165 13 
			 Foston Hall 14 6 12 5 20 7 25 9 15 5 
			 Frankland 87 11 105 13 103 13 104 13 97 12 
			 Full Sutton 126 21 130 22 138 23 139 23 132 22 
			 Garth 88 11 80 10 94 11 85 10 89 12 
			 Gartree 99 14 98 14 98 14 104 15 117 17 
			 Glen Parva 73 9 60 8 85 12 82 13 115 15 
			 Gloucester9 14 5 17 6 17 6 18 6 - - 
			 Grendon/Spring Hill 63 12 61 12 75 14 79 14 83 15 
			 Guys Marsh 57 10 47 10 60 12 76 14 67 12 
			 Haverigg 52 8 61 10 41 7 58 9 55 9 
			 Hewell 137 10 101 8 112 9 103 10 108 9 
			 High Down 134 12 148 14 155 15 152 15 144 14 
			 Highpoint (North and South) 168 18 167 18 308 23 287 23 305 23 
			 Hindley 18 6 21 7 27 9 14 8 23 10 
			 Hollesley Bay 46 13 41 12 57 16 70 17 53 12 
			 Holloway 30 7 24 5 42 8 42 8 33 6 
			 Holme House 33 4 31 3 45 4 31 3 35 3 
			 Hull 44 4 34 4 32 3 25 3 39 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Huntercombe 42 20 27 14 66 16 102 25 109 26 
			 Isis10 - - 66 33 221 37 190 38 209 34 
			 Isle of Wight 185 11 139 8 178 11 154 10 97 9 
			 Kennet 12 4 6 2 3 1 3 1 20 6 
			 Kingston11 19 10 22 11 20 10 26 13 - - 
			 Kirkham 60 10 49 8 60 10 74 12 88 15 
			 Kirklevington Grange 39 14 35 13 37 14 32 12 28 10 
			 Lancaster12 14 6 16 7 - - - - - - 
			 Lancaster Farms 36 7 20 4 54 11 41 8 41 9 
			 Latchmere House13 44 23 50 26 - - - - - - 
			 Leeds 149 13 121 12 156 15 174 16 151 13 
			 Leicester 43 12 39 12 38 11 27 9 37 10 
			 Lewes 47 7 28 6 33 5 38 6 53 8 
			 Leyhill 51 10 58 12 54 11 46 9 44 9 
			 Lincoln 30 4 25 5 55 8 36 6 46 7 
			 Lindholme 207 19 224 21 216 22 165 18 174 17 
			 Littlehey 87 12 168 14 179 16 167 16 174 16 
			 Liverpool 105 8 52 5 55 4 44 4 48 4 
			 Long Lartin 162 26 158 26 174 28 154 25 135 22 
			 Low Newton 3 1 3 1 8 3 7 3 5 2 
			 Lowdham Grange 143 21 194 21 190 20 207 23 209 24 
			 Maidstone 73 12 77 13 54 9 51 9 143 24 
			 Manchester 149 12 148 13 146 13 142 13 151 13 
			 Moorland/Hatfield 133 13 88 13 121 12 182 16 189 15 
			 Morton Hall14 38 10 29 11 - - - - - - 
			 Mount 224 29 202 26 198 26 193 25 207 27 
			 New Hall 18 5 15 4 19 5 13 4 10 3 
			 North Sea Camp 22 7 35 11 44 12 48 12 37 9 
			 Northallerton15 11 4 12 7 15 7 15 7 - - 
			 Northumberland16 39 3 25 2 36 3 35 3 41 3 
			 Norwich 61 8 62 9 50 7 53 8 60 8 
			 Nottingham 57 10 59 6 80 8 82 9 83 8 
			 Oakwood17 - - - - - - 179 15 226 14 
			 Onley 85 12 115 17 119 17 149 22 139 21 
			 Parc 64 5 86 7 112 8 119 8 147 11 
			 Pentonville 263 22 279 24 290 23 324 27 357 28 
			 Peterborough18 64 7 68 8 79 8 52 7 67 8 
			 Portland 110 20 74 17 68 14 59 13 66 11 
			 Preston 62 8 65 9 55 8 43 6 57 8 
			 Ranby 143 13 173 16 153 14 135 13 151 14 
			 Reading19 21 8 22 10 24 10 29 14 - - 
			 Risley 105 10 113 10 96 9 103 10 110 10 
			 Rochester 180 25 157 26 109 20 107 17 112 15 
			 Rye Hill 144 22 126 21 141 23 126 20 145 23 
			 Send 18 7 18 7 15 6 19 7 23 8 
			 Shepton Mallet20 8 4 11 6 13 7 16 9 - - 
			 Shrewsbury21 19 7 15 5 23 7 22 7 - - 
			 Stafford 76 10 95 13 84 11 55 8 70 10 
			 Standford Hill (Sheppey cluster) 58 13 75 17 66 15 73 16 72 16 
			 Stocken 82 10 86 10 102 10 85 11 103 12 
			 Stoke Heath 54 10 59 12 72 11 61 10 61 10 
			 Styal 12 3 14 3 14 3 12 3 20 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Sudbury 74 13 94 17 107 19 123 21 95 16 
			 Swaleside (Sheppey cluster) 202 25 285 26 299 27 304 28 312 28 
			 Swansea 14 4 8 2 11 3 10 2 9 2 
			 Swinfen Hall 101 16 115 18 115 18 96 16 94 16 
			 Thameside22 - - - - - - 184 23 216 25 
			 Thorn Cross 33 12 36 13 36 12 27 10 43 13 
			 Usk/Prescoed 15 4 19 4 37 8 35 7 30 6 
			 Verne23 83 14 85 14 87 15 83 15 - - 
			 Wakefield 82 11 75 10 76 10 84 11 85 11 
			 Wandsworth 364 22 325 21 313 21 210 19 291 19 
			 Warren Hill 17 9 17 15 18 16 23 19 9 26 
			 Wayland 141 15 177 18 169 17 138 14 155 16 
			 Wealstun 68 13 110 14 109 14 97 13 130 16 
			 Wellingborough24 115 18 119 24 152 26 - - - - 
			 Werrington 13 10 15 15 25 18 21 18 31 31 
			 Wetherby 20 6 26 8 33 11 27 11 18 8 
			 Whatton 63 8 48 6 56 7 47 6 52 6 
			 Whitemoor 165 37 162 36 177 39 184 41 190 42 
			 Winchester 39 6 33 5 32 5 51 8 50 8 
			 Wolds 45 11 38 10 42 12 37 11 36 10 
			 Woodhill 95 12 98 13 111 15 122 16 111 14 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 277 21 290 24 258 21 287 25 340 27 
			 Wymott 82 7 79 7 90 8 84 7 82 7 
			 Dover IRC 134 44 127 45 111 48 95 49 158 63 
			 Haslar IRC 40 33 39 33 43 46 64 48 86 54 
			 Morton Hall IRC14 - - - - 146 46 178 50 202 58 
			 All 10,315 12 10,525 13 11,261 13 11,179 13 11,729 14 
			 1 Data for 2009 as at 18 December whereas data for 2010-13 as at 31 December. 2 HMP Ashwell closed March 2011. 3 HMP Blundeston closed December 2013. 4 HMP Bullwood Hall closed March 2013. 5 HMP Canterbury closed March 2013. 6 HMP Dorchester closed December 2013. 7 HMP Downview closed late 2013. 8 HMP Edmunds Hill merged with HMP Highpoint to become HMP Highpoint North and South. 9 HMP Gloucester closed March 2013. 10 HMP and YOI Isis, which opened on 28 July 2010, is sited within the perimeter wall of HMP Belmarsh. 11 HMP Kingston closed March 2013. 12 HMP Lancaster closed March 2011. 13 HMP Latchmere House closed September 2011. 14 In early 2011 HMP Morton Hall closed (having previously been a female prison) and then re-opened as an Immigration Removal Centre, holding immigration detainees on behalf of UKBA. On 16 May, Morton Hall began operating as an Immigration Removal Centre. 15 HMP Northallerton closed in late 2013. 16 HMP Northumberland is the new name for Acklington and Castington. 17 HMP Oakwood opened in April 2012, and came into full operation by spring 2013. 18 Peterborough is a dual purpose prison for men and women. 19 HMP Reading closed in late 2013. 20 HMP Shepton Mallet closed March 2013. 21 HMP Shrewsbury closed March 2013. 22 HMP Thameside opened March 2012. 23 HMP Verne closed in late 2013. 24 HMP Wellingborough closed December 2012. Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of young people and proportion of young people in custody who identify themselves as Muslim (where known) in each SCH and STC 
			   December 2012 December 2013 
			 Sector Establishment Total occupancy Occupancy by identity of Muslim Proportion of young people identified as Muslim (%) Total occupancy Muslim Occupancy Proportion of young people identified as Muslim (%) 
			 Secure Children's Homes Aldine House 3 0 0 5 1 20 
			  Aycliffe 23 0 0 16 0 0 
			  Barton Moss 15 1 7 16 0 0 
			  Clayfields 13 1 8 12 0 0 
			  East Moor 17 2 12 25 1 4 
			  Hillside 15 0 0 8 0 0 
			  Lincolnshire 9 0 0 8 0 0 
			  Red Bank 12 0 0 19 0 0 
			  Swanwick 12 2 17 10 1 10 
			  Vinney Green 20 2 10 18 2 11 
			 All SCH  139 8 6 137 5 4 
			         
			 Secure Training Centres Hassockfield 30 0 0 48 0 0 
			  Medway 62 6 10 65 6 9 
			  Oakhill 64 16 25 73 8 11 
			  Rainsbrook 63 4 6 81 7 9 
			 All STC  219 26 12 267 21 8 
			         
			 Total  358 34 9 404 26 6 
			 Notes: 1. The YJB changed its booking system for placing young people into custody during March 2012 from SACHS to eAsset. It is only from this point onwards that information on the religion of the young person in custody was collected. Consequently, data are only available from April 2012 and data by religion are not available for the previous years. 2. The table shows the number of young people held within each Secure Children's Home and Secure Training Centre, who identify themselves as Muslim and the total occupancy to show the proportion of Muslim young people in each establishment. This is self-reported by the young person. This information is not compulsory to be completed by the young person and ‘unknown' is an acceptable category, so there are not complete data for this question. In December 2012, the religion of the young person was not known for 52% of the entire youth custody population in SCHs and STCs and in December 2013, the religion of the young person was not known for 58% of the entire youth population in SCHs and STCs 3. These data are sourced from the eAsset database, the booking system used by the Youth Justice Board to place young people in custody. It is based on the snapshots for December 2012 and December 2013, which are a snapshot date of 28 December 2012 and 3 January 2014 respectively. The data for December 2013 are provisional and will be finalised in January 2015. Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Radicalism

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners in each adult and youth prison in England and Wales were identified as (a) a radicalised Muslim or (b) at risk of being radicalised in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013.

Jeremy Wright: NOMS holds a number of prisoners who, by their offences prior to custody, clearly hold extremist views and the number of prisoners held under Terrorist Act legislation is published in the Home Office Statistical bulletin. A number of other prisoners, from their behaviour in custody, appear to hold extremist views or may be vulnerable to a radicalising message. However, NOMS assesses that a significant proportion of those exhibiting extremist behaviour do so to disguise or excuse antisocial or criminal behaviours or to attempt to manipulate the prison system.
	It is not therefore possible to give precise figures about those radicalised or at risk from radicalising messages.
	NOMS works proactively to identify and manage extremist behaviours where they are reported and has a range of interventions at its disposal to recognise, tackle and disrupt extremist behaviour, whether genuine or apparent, and an established multi-agency case management system to deal with prisoners who may be of concern.

Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons in England and Wales have changed their prison population to accommodate young adults for the first time since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The following table identifies prisons that did not hold young adults (aged 18-20 years old) in May 2010. These prisons have since changed function in order to hold remand and sentenced young adults (aged 18-20 years old).
	Prison
	Belmarsh
	Bullingdon
	Cardiff
	Durham
	Holme House
	Isis1
	Nottingham
	Pentonville
	Preston
	Swansea
	Thameside2
	Wandsworth
	Winchester
	Wormwood Scrubs
	1 HMP/YOI Isis opened in August 2010.
	2 HMP Thameside opened in April 2012.

Prisons: Mother and Baby Units

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect of reducing the number of mother and baby units at HM Prison Holloway and HM Prison Askham Grange on (a) the ability of women in prison to maintain family contact and (b) the distance women are held from their families.

Simon Hughes: The mother and baby unit at HMP/YOI Holloway has been closed in line with the recommendation included in the Women's Custodial Estate Review. The report was published on 25 October and recommended that the women's prison estate be reconfigured to ensure that women are held closer to home with access to the right interventions and with opportunities for meaningful resettlement.
	The rationale to close HMP/YOI Holloway's mother and baby unit was to reduce excess capacity within the mother and baby unit system without adversely affecting distance from home for imprisoned mothers with babies and their ability to maintain family contact.
	Taking into account the limited physical environment of the mother and baby unit at HMP/YOI Holloway, and the close proximity of HMP Bronzefield (21.5 miles), it was recommended that the 13 places at HMP Holloway should be closed.
	The intention to close HMP/YOI Askham Grange follows a steady reduction in the female prison population. We will only close the prison once new resettlement facilities are made available across the country, offering better options for the great majority of female offenders.

Terrorism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been charged with terrorist-related offences relating to acts in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) elsewhere in England and Wales in each year since 2005.

Oliver Heald: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows how many of those arrested in Northern Ireland, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, were subsequently charged with an offence under any legislation except terrorism legislation (the latter would be classed as a terrorism offence, not a terrorism-related one).
	The reporting format for these statistics changed after 2008, from a calendar to financial year basis.
	
		
			 Time period Total 
			 1 April 2012-31 March 2013 124 
			 1 April 2011-31 March 2012 74 
			 1 April 2010-31 March 2011 110 
			 1 April 2009-31 March 2010 74 
			 1 January 2009-31 March 2009 37 
			 2008 60 
			 2007 99 
			 2006 106 
			 2005 158 
		
	
	The number of people charged for terrorism-related offences in England and Wales is as follows:
	
		
			 Total number of charges for terrorism-related offences in England and Wales each year since 2005 
			  Number 
			 2005-06 50 
			 2006-07 79 
			 2007-08 53 
			 2008-09 40 
			 2009-10 27 
			 2010-11 19 
			 2011-12 42 
			 2012-13 37 
		
	
	The above data can also be accessed on the Gov.uk website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-2012-to-2013

Written Statements

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many written statements his Department has published since 1 January 2013 in total; how many such statements were published after the start of the day's business; and how many such statements were published after that day's deadline for requesting urgent questions.

Simon Hughes: The Ministry of Justice has issued 119 WMSs since January 2013.
	The Department aims to issue written statements at 9.30 am, which is the agreed time for the Government to issue written statements. This though is not always possible for a number of reasons. From the Department's records it is not possible to determine how many statements were published after the start of the day's business nor how many statements were published after that day's deadline for requesting urgent questions.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Rossendale and Darwen

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship places there were in Rossendale and Darwen constituency in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

Matthew Hancock: Information on apprenticeship participation and starts by geography is available in Supplementary Tables to a Statistical First Release:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284528/Nov2013_Apprenticeships_Region_Participation.xls
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286796/apprenticeship-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xlsm

Higher Education

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of total cost of supporting students at alternative learning providers in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16 by (i) loan support, (ii) maintenance grants and (iii) any other support;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the amount spent on maintenance grants for students at private colleges in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

David Willetts: The estimated costs of support to students at alternative providers are as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  By financial year 
			  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 
			 (i) Loan outlay (cash) 400 650 600 
			 (ii) Maintenance grants and (iii) allowances 150 250 250 
		
	
	Forecast of expenditure on students at alternative providers remain especially uncertain as we still do not yet know how many students will be paid support in the 2013/14 academic year. All forecasts are based on assumed growth from the 2012/13 baseline.

Minimum Wage: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the increase in the minimum wage;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Scottish organisations on the increase in the minimum wage;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with Scottish business leaders on the increase in the minimum wage.

Jennifer Willott: There has been no recent meeting or discussion between the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and Scottish representatives directly relating to the national minimum wage (NMW) increase.
	Each year, the Government ask the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to consider the impact of the NMW in Scotland as part of its annual remit to recommend rates that will apply across the UK as a whole.
	The visits to Scotland are a key part of the LPC programme of visits around the UK to gather information on how the NMW is operating. In 2013, commissioners met a number of representatives in Perth and Dundee to hear first hand what impact the NMW is having on businesses and workers within Scotland.

Minimum Wage: Scotland

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the minimum wage on businesses in Scotland;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the minimum wage on low income employees in Scotland;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the number of people in each Scottish local authority area who will benefit from the increase in the minimum wage.

Jennifer Willott: Each year, the Government ask the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to consider the impact of the national minimum wage (NMW) in Scotland as part of its annual remit to recommend rates that will apply across the UK as a whole.
	The visits to Scotland are a key part of the LPC programme of visits around the UK to gather information on how the NMW is operating. In 2013, commissioners met a number of representatives in Perth and Dundee to hear first hand what impact the NMW is having on businesses and workers within Scotland.
	The objective of the visits, alongside the other work of the LPC, is to recommend the highest NMW rates possible without having an adverse effect on employment.
	To date, the LPC's research appears to confirm that the recommendations have achieved their objective. The NMW rates have risen faster than median earnings and (in line with the general academic consensus) the research has found no strong evidence that the minimum wage has damaged aggregate employment levels in the low-paying sectors.

National Careers Service

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many registered users there are of the National Careers Service website in each (a) region and (b) constituent part of the UK.

Matthew Hancock: Users of the National Careers Service website do not have to register to use the site. The website is currently experiencing over 1.2 million visits each month on average. Users may choose to open a Lifelong Learning Account which allows them to store information and outputs generated from the website tools that they have used. There are currently 1,130,318 registered Lifelong Learning Accounts. The table shows the number of accounts in each region of England and in other constituent parts of the UK.
	
		
			  Number 
			 English regions  
			 East Midlands 126,910 
			 East of England 100,640 
			 London 123,175 
			 North East 49,097 
		
	
	
		
			 North West 146,272 
			 South East 169,217 
			 South West 96,067 
			 West Midlands 125,675 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 107,932 
			   
			 Northern Ireland 8,828 
			 Scotland 21,366 
			 Wales 17,300 
			 Other1 37,839 
			   
			 Total 1,130,318 
			 1 Location is identified by post code. Other represents unrecognised post codes.

National Careers Service

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for professional development grants have been approved by the National Careers Service (NCS) in each year for which figures are available; and how many applications for such grants have been rejected by the NCS in each such year.

Matthew Hancock: The National Careers Service (NCS) offers information, advice and guidance to help individuals make decisions about careers, learning and employment. This includes information about possible sources of financial support, including Government schemes such as Professional and Career Development Loans (PCDLs). PCDLs are commercial bank loans where the Government meet the interest charges during the period of study.
	The NCS acts as a first point of contact for individuals considering a PCDL but it is not involved in lending decisions. All requests are passed to another agency which issues application forms. In 2013 just over 40,000 forms were issued. PCDL participating banks assess each application on its merit and make decisions based on their own responsible lending criteria.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many individuals awarded start-up loans have defaulted on these loans.

Matthew Hancock: None. However, as start-up loans are granted to new businesses which carry a certain amount of risk, we expect this rate to rise as the loan book matures.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether start-up loan delivery partners are given a commission on each loan they provide.

Matthew Hancock: Start-Up Loans Company pays delivery partners only for loans which are drawn down. This approach incentivises partners to source prospective loan applications and provide good quality support to get them to finance readiness.
	Partners are targeted on the quality of their credit decisions, customer feedback and arrears. Individual decision making limits are varied monthly depending on their performance against these key performance indicators and persistent failure to achieve them can result in termination of contract.
	Partners are paid for the granting and administration of loans made, although this is a fixed-fee based structure rather than being based on commission. The agreed fee per loan (which is capped) includes recognition of the costs incurred in working with unsuccessful applicants when their case is referred to lending panels. The success rate from formal application to approval tends to be between 30% and 50%, depending on the partner's approach to screening applicants early on.
	The other constituent parts of the fee include the costs of providing post-loan support and mentoring, administering repayments and debt collection activity. These elements (about 50%) are paid in tranches after the loan is made to incentivise ongoing management and guard against cash flow issues. Where performance on these elements is below expectations, fees can be withheld or reduced.

New Businesses: Government Assistance

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many start-up loans his Department has awarded to people before a credit check has been undertaken on the applicant; and what the total value of those loans is.

Matthew Hancock: The requested information is not available.
	Credit checking has been mandatory since 1 October 2013.

Post Office Card Account: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on increasing the use of Post Office accounts for benefit payments; and if he will make a statement.

Jennifer Willott: The Post Office Ltd has a contract with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide the Post Office card account (POCA) on behalf of DWP, NI Social Services, the MOD, and HMRC. This is regularly used by some 3 million people to access their pensions or benefits and is available across the Post Office network, including of course in Northern Ireland.
	The current arrangements for collecting pensions and benefits at post offices will remain in place until at least 2015. Any decision about the future of POCA arrangements and related commercial negotiations are a matter for DWP, in discussion with their partners. However I can confirm that DWP and the Post Office are in discussions about a long term successor to the Post Office card account and that all options under consideration conclude that access to pensions and benefits will continue, beyond March 2015, across the whole post office network of at least 11,500 branches.

UK Export Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) small and medium-sized and (b) other businesses received direct financial assistance through UK Export Finance in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 to date.

Michael Fallon: UK Export Finance has historically provided support principally through the issue of guarantees to banks and insurance to exporters and investors. In 2012-13, UK Export Finance provided 368 facilities worth £4.295 billion of support and, in 2013-14 (to end-February) has provided 513 facilities worth £2.384 billion.
	Across its product range it has provided support to (i) 84 exporters (of which 52 were small and medium-sized) in 2012-13 and (ii) 118 exporters (of which 83 were small and medium-sized) in 2013-14 to end-February.

UK Export Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many firms have received support under the UK Export Finance Direct Lending Scheme to date.

Michael Fallon: The Direct Lending Facility, launched in September 2013, provides funding from the Exchequer for export credit loans repayable on two years credit and longer to overseas buyers to purchase goods and services from UK exporters. To date 15 inquiries have been made to access the scheme, with one application in progress.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the recent Budget changes to the facility, including relaxing the eligibility criteria and reducing the applicable interest rates by applying the minimum permitted under international agreements.

UK Export Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of awareness among (a) small and (b) other businesses of the services offered by (i) UK Trade & Investment and (ii) UK Export Finance; and what data his Department use to monitor this awareness.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) assesses awareness among businesses of UKTI on an annual basis through its International Business Strategies, Barriers and Awareness Survey:
	http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/item/623100.html
	The 2013 survey shows that 62% of companies questioned with less than 250 employees exporting or planning to export in the next 12 months were aware of UKTI. The following table provides a breakdown of awareness by company size:
	
		
			  Size (number of employees) 
			  0 1 to 9 10 to 49 50 to 249 Total under 250 250+ 
			 Base (number) 28 559 227 68 882 63 
			 Awareness of UKTI (percentage) 41 59 62 70 62 70 
		
	
	UK Export Finance does not currently undertake its own awareness surveys. However, it contributes questions to the International Trade survey carried out by Trade and Export Finance Ltd. The International Trade Survey showed 49% awareness of UKEF products in 2013, up from 42% in 2012.

UK Trade & Investment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) small and medium-sized and (b) other businesses have been assisted by UK Trade & Investment in 2013-14 to date.

Michael Fallon: Data on businesses assisted by UK Trade & Investment for the 2013-14 financial year will be available at the end of September 2014.

UK Trade & Investment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized businesses were assisted by UK Trade & Investment in 2012-13.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment supported 31,880 businesses in the 2012-13 financial year. 87% of the companies supported (around 27,700) were businesses of less than 250 employees.

CABINET OFFICE

All Party Groups

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his Department's policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

Francis Maude: Guidance on officials appearing before all-party parliamentary groups is set out in Volume 2 of the Directory of Civil Service Guidance, copies of which are available in the Library of the House and online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60997/guide-civil-service-guidance-volume-2_0.pdf

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds her Department provided to which non-governmental organisations for work in Burma on (a) peace building and (b) other activities in each year since 2005.

Alan Duncan: DFID is providing £1.5 million to Inter Mediate between 2012-15 for work on peacebuilding in Burma. To list all the non-governmental organisations that we have funded for all other activities since 2005 would incur disproportionate costs as this information is not held centrally. Publishable details of current and recent funding can, however, be found on the Development Tracker which is available on the gov.uk website.

Palestinians

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide support to the Gaza aquifer to enable it to recover from pollution and damage caused by over-pumping.

Alan Duncan: The British Government support the international effort to ensure that there are alternatives to the continued over-pumping of the Gaza aquifer, and we continue to press the Israeli Government on the need to ease movement and access restrictions in order to ensure access to water in the Gaza strip. DFID supports the Office of the Quartet Representative to work with the Israeli authorities on easing those restrictions, and funds the UN Access Coordination Unit to help 24 UN agencies and 90 INGOs get aid and goods into Gaza.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register: Bolton North East

David Crausby: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in Bolton North East constituency.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.
	Results for all wards are available on the Commission's website here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls
	The ward results for the Bolton North East constituency were as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ward Green matches Amber matches Red matches 
			 Astley Bridge 82.7 1.1 16.2 
			 Bradshaw 86.7 1.1 12.2 
			 Breightmet 83.1 1.4 15.5 
			 Bromley Cross 84.9 0.8 14.3 
			 Crompton 75.9 2.8 21.3 
			 Halliwell 73.4 2.8 23.8 
			 Tonge with the Haulgh 79.5 1.7 18.8

Electoral Register: Sheffield

Clive Betts: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted by Sheffield city council.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in Sheffield.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.
	Results for all wards are available on the Commission's website here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls
	The ward results for Sheffield city council were as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Ward Green matches Amber matches Red matches 
			 Arbourthorne 82.3 1.2 16.5 
			 Beauchief and Greenhill 85.6 0.9 13.5 
			 Beighton 87.2 0.7 12.1 
			 Birley 87.2 1.0 11.8 
			 Broomhill 37.5 2.8 59.7 
			 Burngreave 75.7 3.9 20.5 
			 Central 34.9 3.1 62.1 
			 Crookes 65.7 0.9 33.4 
			 Darnall 77.5 3.1 19.4 
			 Dore and Totley 86.1 1.2 12.7 
			 East Ecclesfield 86.2 1.0 12.7 
			 Ecclesall 81.8 1.2 17.0 
			 Firth Park 82.6 1.8 15.7 
			 Fulwood 62.8 1.3 35.9 
			 Gleadless Valley 79.3 1.7 19.0 
			 Graves Park 82.9 1.1 16.0 
			 Hillsborough 81.7 1.4 17.0 
			 Manor Castle 76.5 1.5 22.0 
			 Mosborough 85.6 0.9 13.4 
			 Nether Edge 69.4 2.7 27.9 
			 Richmond 86.1 1.1 12.8 
			 Shiregreen and Brightside 82.9 1.4 15.6 
			 Southey 84.8 1.1 14.1 
			 Stannington 84.9 1.8 13.3 
			 Stocksbridge and Upper Don 85.2 1.8 13.0 
			 Walkley 69.5 1.7 28.8 
			 West Ecclesfield 87.9 0.8 11.3 
			 Woodhouse 86.1 1.3 12.6

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish the audited figures for the Child Support Agency's client funds account for 2012-13.

Steve Webb: It is our intention to publish the audited figures for the Child Support Agency's client funds account for 2012-13 on 27 March.

Employment and Support Allowance

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who had an employment and support allowance award terminated during the mandatory reconsideration process subsequently claimed jobseeker's allowance in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency under the age of 25 years were in receipt of housing benefit in the last year for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Monthly housing benefit recipients under the age of 25 in Scotland and Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency, December 2012-November 2013 
			  Scotland Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency 
			 December 2012 32,807 870 
			 January 2013 32,997 916 
			 February 2013 33,487 908 
			 March 2013 33,397 942 
			 April 2013 33,199 945 
			 May 2013 32,887 931 
			 June 2013 32,664 922 
			 July 2013 32,589 945 
			 August 2013 32,739 948 
			 September 2013 31,899 910 
			 October 2013 31,526 897 
			 November 2013 30,397 859 
			 Note: Recipients are counted on the second Thursday of the month and statistical disclosure control has been applied to protect against the identification of individual claimants. Source: Stat-Xplore, Department for Work and Pensions. 
		
	
	This information is published and can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Occupational Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses that are due to automatically enrol their employees in 2014.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Regulator is focusing on educating and enabling employers of all sizes to ensure they are aware of automatic enrolment and understand what they have to do.
	The Regulator has implemented an employer journey that consists of a series of letters and e-mails being sent to employers from 12 months prior to their staging date. As their staging date approaches each e-mail informs the employer what stage they should be at and also signposts employers to guidance and tools that have been provided by the Regulator.
	There is a suite of tools on the Regulator's website including an interactive planning tool to assist employers in getting ready, a staging date tool to find out your staging date, and detailed guides. It has also established a customer support centre for employers to discuss any questions they may have.
	The Regulator is also working with intermediaries such as software developers, payroll bureaux and trade body groups to make sure they are able to provide suitable tools, guidance or support if employers require it. Recently an employer advertising campaign has been under way to raise awareness and guide employers to the Regulator's website to help them in their preparations.
	Throughout the initial roll-out of automatic enrolment the Regulator has been assessing the impact of its communications and updating its products to ensure it meets the needs of the changing audience, from the UK's largest employers with thousands of workers, through to those with a small work force. The Regulator's communications are developed following testing and research and are updated to meet the needs of the changing audience.
	Based on research by the Pensions Regulator, levels of employer awareness and understanding of their automatic enrolment duties are high and showing appropriate progress towards employers being able to comply with their duties.

Occupational Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number and proportion of employers scheduled to join auto-enrolment in April 2014 that are on track to meet their deadlines.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has overall responsibility for monitoring compliance with the new employer duties and employers must register with TPR and state how they are meeting the duties.
	We expect around 15,900 medium employers (50 to 249) to stage between April and June 2014 (based on PAYE information as at 1 April 2012).
	Research published by the Pensions Regulator in February 2014 shows that most small to medium employers (91%) were confident that their organisation would have done everything it needed to by the deadline.
	The Pensions Regulator expects to publish further information on their Compliance and Enforcement work this summer.

Occupational Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the capacity of pension advisors and providers to support employers who are scheduled to establish workplace pensions through auto-enrolment in 2014.

Steve Webb: The Government are aware of the capacity challenges facing the pensions industry. DWP is engaging regularly with pension providers to ascertain capacity as we move through the medium employer staging dates.
	We are confident that NEST will continue to accept all employers in accordance with its Public Service Obligations and will be able to overcome any challenges of employers going to it late.
	Automatic enrolment has been designed so that employers do not need to take advice in order to comply with their duties although we understand that many will choose to pay for advice. The Government engage regularly with intermediaries and believe that there is capacity and interest in the market to meet demand.

Occupational Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that employers comply with their obligations under auto-enrolment.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has overall responsibility for enforcing compliance with the new employer duties and employers must register with TPR and state how they are meeting the duties.
	TPR's focus is on educating and enabling employers to meet their duties and establishing and maintaining a ‘pro-compliance' culture.
	TPR writes to all employers 12 months before the date they are required to start enrolling workers, and on at least one other occasion (depending on employer size). TPR has also encouraged employers to start planning early (at least 12 months prior to their duties start date). It has provided tools and guidance to help employers plan and these are under constant review as the reforms roll out.
	Some employers will fail to comply because they have not understood or have not been able to comply. Where employers do not comply, TPR will consider the circumstances of each case and, where it is appropriate to do so, work with employers to get them compliant. TPR has a graduated approach to enforcement beginning with warnings leading to statutory notices then financial penalties. Criminal prosecution will be used only in the most serious cases.

Social Rented Housing: Older People

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of households in the social rented sector in which there is one or more people over the state pension age are under-occupying their property.

Esther McVey: Tenants who are not in receipt of housing benefit and who have reached the age for state pension credit are not affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy. As a consequence, no households would be classed as under-occupying.

Social Security Benefits

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 851W, on social security benefits, for what reason information from his Department's document Incapacity Benefits: Death of Recipients published in July 2012 was not included in the response; and whether the information contained in that document is still collected.

Michael Penning: The reason that the referred document was not included in the previous answer is that it does not answer the question as asked.
	The Department does monitor requests we receive for new statistics and consider whether we can produce and release analysis that will helpfully inform public debate. The Department is therefore looking at this issue with a view to seeing what statistics could be produced on a regular basis.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Fuel Poverty

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to assistance with utility costs to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Gregory Barker: There is a range of assistance with energy costs available to low income and vulnerable consumers.
	Some policies offer automatic payments. For example, cold weather payments provide £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather to eligible households. The cost of this scheme is dependent not only on who is eligible but also on the number of consecutive days of very cold weather in a given winter.
	Other types of assistance are set at a given level of annual support, irrespective of the number of eligible consumers. For example, Affordable Warmth is estimated to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures worth around £350 million. While a consumer needs to be claiming certain types of benefits to be eligible for the scheme, support is capped at a certain target level and therefore extending the scheme's eligibility criteria would not necessarily affect the cost of the scheme.
	These examples highlight that the cost of assistance is dependent on a number of factors beyond simply whether a consumer is eligible for support. We estimate 8 million people will be receiving universal credit once it has been fully rolled out. However, the cost to the public purse of extending the eligibility of the assistance schemes will depend on which schemes are included (e.g. would winter fuel payments be included?), the way eligibility is implemented (capped versus automatic) and external factors such as the weather.

Renewables Obligation

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what his policy is on granting support to renewable electricity generation technologies under the Renewables Obligation before that scheme's closure in 2017;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on investment in renewable electricity generation if the Renewables Obligation were closed to new projects before 2017;
	(3)  whether the Renewables Obligation will remain open to all new renewable electricity generation projects until 2017.

Michael Fallon: The Government's approach to the renewables obligation through to its closure is set out in the Government response to the consultations on Renewables Obligation transition and grace periods published on 12 March and which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289076/Transition_and_Grace_Periods_Government_Response_-_12_Mar_2014.pdf

Wind Power

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 3 December 2012, Official Report, column 590W, on wind power, what progress he has made on addressing the issue of manufacturers selling turbines which have been de-rated to allow them to benefit from higher tariffs; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: DECC takes the issue of turbine de-rating under the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) seriously.
	To the end of September 2013, 110 turbines had been installed under the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) in the 100 kW to 500 kW band, representing just 2.2% of wind sites. Of these 110, eight, with a total installed capacity between 490 kW to 500kW, had been de-rated.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Welfare

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which responsibilities for tackling animal welfare crimes are managed by (a) her Department and (b) non-governmental organisations.

Norman Baker: The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the lead Government Department for policy and legislation in relation to animal welfare, including offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The police and local authorities have powers to enforce that Act, but any person or organisation (such as the RSPCA) can initiate criminal proceedings under it.
	In addition to the Government's funding for individual police forces to tackle all types of crime, including wildlife crime, the Home Office and DEFRA both contribute funding to support the work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, the national police unit dedicated to tackling wildlife crime. Where wildlife crimes are sufficiently serious, organised or complex, the National Crime Agency will ensure that partners across the law enforcement community benefit from its co-ordination, tasking and intelligence arrangements, as well as being able to access its specialist capabilities. Furthermore, the Home Office plays a key role in the Government's efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, which is a serious transnational criminal industry worth billions of pounds each year. I was therefore pleased that, at the recent London Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference which I attended, world leaders from over 40 countries made a commitment to eradicate the trade.
	The Home Office also regulates the use of living animals in scientific procedures in England, Scotland and Wales under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Asylum

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of people from Syria who will relocate through the vulnerable persons relocation scheme between 29 January 2014 and 30 May 2015;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of how many (a) private and (b) public sector properties will be used for the vulnerable persons relocation scheme in 2014-15;
	(3)  which local authorities are participating in the vulnerable persons relocation scheme.

James Brokenshire: The vulnerable persons relocation scheme has been put in place to relocate to the UK some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, displaced to neighbouring countries by the ongoing conflict. We anticipate that it will support several hundred people over the next three years. Ongoing discussions with a number of local authorities regarding participation in the scheme will determine exact numbers to be relocated between 29 January 2014 and 30 May 2015. Given the continuing nature of these discussions, it is therefore too early to have a clear indication of the type of accommodation that will be available to house the relocated refugees.

Crime: Nature Conservation

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK meets its obligations on tackling the illegal wildlife trade under the 2014 London Declaration; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The coalition Government takes the illegal wildlife trade very seriously.
	The Home Office will continue to work with other departments to ensure that the Government delivers on the UK Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.
	Border Force will continue to play a lead role for the UK in respect of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, delivering risk-based anti-smuggling controls at the border in line with agreed national priorities and taking account of latest available intelligence.
	The Home Office is also providing specific funding of £136,000 for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years to ensure that the Unit can continue its important work, including as the UK focal point for international police co-operation on all wildlife crime-related matters, such as initiatives on the illegal wildlife trade.
	Border Force and the National Wildlife Crime Unit will consider specific requests to provide practical assistance and training to help tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

Crime: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal offences by foreign-born nationals were recorded in Pendle constituency in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Home Office does not hold data on the nationality of offenders, and so cannot provide data on the number of offences committed by foreign-born nationals that were recorded by police in Pendle.
	The Home Office collects aggregate data on the number of offences recorded by the police, available at police force area and Community Safety Partnership level. However, we do not hold details about the people responsible for these offences.
	The Ministry of Justice collects details on the number of offenders and offender characteristics, but does not collect information on the number of offences that these offenders commit.

Cybercrime

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how her Department assesses the effectiveness of the Cyber Crime Reduction Partnership and progress against commitments made under the UK Cyber Security Strategy, page 36, objective 1.

Karen Bradley: The UK Cyber Security Strategy was published in November 2011. The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), gave a commitment to put an annual report before Parliament on progress against objectives set out in the strategy.
	The Minister for the Cabinet Office gave the second annual report on 12 December 2013, Official Report, columns 43-47WS. The Minister for the Cabinet Office also placed before Parliament a list of achievements over the proceeding year and a document that outlines its forward plans, priorities and some key initiatives to be taken forward. This includes work undertaken within objective 1 of the strategy including the Cyber Crime Reduction Partnership. The documents can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cyber-security-strategy-2-years-on
	The Partnership, one of a set of new engagement structures with industry on Cyber Security, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of cybercrime among members, helping them to become more resilient to the threat. Based on a shared workplan, it provides a forum for partners to share views and contribute to key actions in the Strategy.

Drugs: Misuse

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the expert review into psychoactive substances will report.

Norman Baker: holding answer 24 March 2014
	The findings of the review into new psychoactive substances which I announced on 12 December 2013 are due to be presented to Ministers by the end of spring 2014.

Drugs: Misuse

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether she has asked the expert review of new psychoactive substances to look at improving education and public awareness around new psychoactive substances;
	(2)  who the members of the expert panel into new psychoactive substances are; and what the list of witnesses to be called is;
	(3)  when she expects to publish the findings of the expert review of new psychoactive substances;
	(4)  what provision she has made to allow charities and expert groups to contribute to the expert review into new psychoactive substances.

Norman Baker: The aim of the review is to consider the new drugs landscape which the arrival of new psychoactive substances has produced, and how the UK's response should be strengthened. It is considering the legal framework to deal with these new substances, as well as other policy levers, for example in health or education, which might be available to the Government.
	The names of the core expert panel members are given in the table. Members were chosen for their expertise and extensive networks which they are using to bring evidence to the review.
	The panel is considering national and international available evidence, and is engaging with other experts and organisations including charities as the review progresses.
	The choice of expert witnesses is a matter for the panel.
	As referred to in the published Terms of Reference, the panel's recommendations will be presented to Home Office Ministers in the spring.
	
		
			 Expertise Panel Member Position at Appointment 
			 Enforcement Commander Simon Bray New Psychoactive Substance lead for National Policing 
			  Gordon Meldrum National Crime Agency, Director for Organised Crime 
			  Carole Upshall UK Border Force Director—National Customs Operations and Border Force South Region 
			    
			 Local Authorities Mark Norris Local Government Association/Trading Standards Institute 
			    
			 Forensics Dr Jeff Adams Forensic Regulator’s Unit 
			    
			 Legal Nick Hunt Director of Policy and Strategy, Crown Prosecution Service 
			    
			 Medical Science Professor Les Iversen Professor in Pharmacology 
			  Dr Owen Bowden Jones Consultant in Addiction Psychiatry 
			    
			 Social Science/Academia Professor Fiona Measham Professor in Criminology 
			    
			 International Paul Griffiths Scientific Director, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction 
			    
			 Education Andrew Brown Mentor UK 
			  Harry Shapiro Drugscope

Female Genital Mutilation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the proportion of calls made to the NSPCC reporting female genital mutilation cases that have been passed on to the police.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 March 2014
	The NSPCC's FGM helpline received 174 contacts between its launch in June 2013 and 28 February 2014. Of this number, 75 have been referred to the relevant police force. There were 35 contacts from professionals seeking advice on the correct procedures to follow in regard to a child at risk of FGM. The other 64 contacts were more general enquiries relating to FGM.

Prison Sentences

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in prison in the latest period for which data are available served a time longer than their full sentence.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 26 February 2014
	For the week commencing 24 February 2014, there were 821 immigration detainees in prisons.
	Please note that the data include a small number of individuals who have never served a custodial sentence. These individuals present specific risk factors that indicate they pose a serious risk of harm to the public or to the good order of an Immigration Removal Centre, including the safety of staff and other detainees, which cannot be managed within the regime applied in IRCs.
	To extract this small number of cases who have not served a custodial sentence would incur a disproportionate cost as this would involve looking at individual records.

Racially Aggravated Offences

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the effects of steps to tackle racially motivated hate crimes.

Norman Baker: Policing and Criminal Justice issues in Northern Ireland are devolved matters. However, the Home Office has regular discussions with the Department of Justice about measures that are in place to tackle racially motivated crimes, including criminal legislation, as part of the United Kingdom's involvement in work to tackle hate crime across the European Union.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to implement the commitments made in the outcome document for UN Commission on the Status of Women 2013; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 March 2014, Official Report, column 688W.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from civil society organisations on the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2014.

Norman Baker: Active engagement with civil society was a key element of preparations and plans for the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. A robust programme of consultation and engagement with a wide range of civil society organisations was put in place by the Government Equalities Office, so enabling them to take account of the views and representations of UK non-governmental organisations in the negotiations at the Commission. These have included representations on the following:
	i. a priorities paper on the post-2015 agenda from the UK NGO CSW Alliance;
	ii. a submission from the Gender and Development Network; and
	iii. statements on millennium development goals and the post-2015 framework from faith-based organisations and international civil society organisations.

EDUCATION

Free School Meals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education at what level of household income children in households in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for free school meals.

David Laws: We have not yet made final decisions on what the entitlement criteria for free school meals under universal credit will be. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop suitable criteria which will ensure that free lunches continue to be available to those families on the lowest incomes.
	We will allow good time for interested parties to comment on our proposals before we introduce the new criteria.

New Schools Network

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to designate the New Schools Network as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: There are no plans to designate the New Schools Network as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Schools: Construction

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 250W, on schools: construction, what the (a) final bid date in April 2014 and (b) expected decision date is.

David Laws: Final bids in the procurement are due to be received from the three shortlisted bidders on 17 April 2014, and the Education Funding Agency is scheduled to appoint a selected bidder by the end of May 2014.

Schools: Construction

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, column 250W, on schools: construction, what the construction time scale is for each of the 198 schools with which his Department is working in the Priority School Building Programme, but at which construction has not yet started.

David Laws: We are currently working with 221 schools in the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). We will have commenced work with all schools by the end of 2014. Before building work can begin, plans must be drawn up, contracts negotiated and planning permission secured. Construction work has already started at 24 schools (20 under main works contracts and four under early works agreements). We expect that building work will have commenced at all schools by the end of 2016. All schools will be delivered by the end of 2017, two years earlier than originally planned.
	Under Building Schools for the Future (BSF), it took three years from first planning for building works to begin. We have cut this to one year under the PSBP. Had we continued with BSF time scales, no PSBP schools would yet have started construction. The first school being rebuilt under the PSBP will open in May 2014.

Schools: Staffordshire

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has any plans to increase the amount of funding allocated to schools in South Staffordshire constituency.

David Laws: Earlier this month I announced plans to boost funding for around 60 of the least fairly funded local authorities, which will mean that every local area will attract at least a minimum level of funding for each of its pupils and schools. As Staffordshire already attracts funding above these levels, it will not receive additional money as part of these proposals. Staffordshire receives funding on a per pupil basis, so the amount allocated to schools in Staffordshire will increase in line with demographic growth.
	Schools in Staffordshire local authority received over £22 million of pupil premium funding in 2013-14. This is a significant Government investment in addition to mainstream school funding. We will increase pupil premium funding rates for 2014-15 to £1,300 for every eligible primary pupil and £935 for every eligible secondary pupil, as well as expanding the scope of the pupil premium to cover more disadvantaged pupils than ever before.